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All About the Baby 



PREPARATIONS FOR ITS ADVENT 



TOGETHER WITH THE 



HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT 



ITS ORDINARY AILMENTS. 



gl $o0k for t#tothi?r#, 



ROBERT N. TOOKER, M. D. 

Professor of Diseases of Children in the Chicago Homeopathic 
Medical College ; author of "Diseases of Children," a Text 
Book for Students of Medicine and Practitioners ; 
Consulting Physician to the Chicago Half Or- 
phan Asylum ; Member of the American 
Institute of Homeopathy ; and 
various other medical 
Societies. 



ILL USTRA TED 



Chicago and New York: 
RAND, McNALLY & COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 






library of congress: 

Two Copies Recede* 

AUG 28 1*08 

ttUVSS CX- *X& Nw. 
30PY 8. 



Copyright, 1896, by Rand, McNally & Co. 
Copyright, 1908, by Rand, McNally & Co. 



DEDICATION 



TO 

EVERY MOTHER WHO LOVES HER BABE, AND 

WHO BELIEVES AS I DO, THAT 

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE MOVES THE WORLD, 

THIS BOOK 

IS RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 

BY THE AUTHOR. 



PREFACE. 



The trend of modern medicine is toward prevention 
as well as the cure of disease. 

The utility of this fact is nowhere so plainly mani- 
fested as in those affections which constantly menace 
the lives of children. Infantile diseases, which seem 
trifling in their incipiency, are prone to take on a serious 
aspect, if long neglected, and often they must receive 
tardy attention, if the trusted family doctor happens to 
be miles away at the critical moment. 

Every mother should have resources of her own upon 
which she can depend in cases of emergency. Many a 
serious disease might be averted by timely treatment; 
and there are many small ailments attendant upon 
early life which, at their worst, are more annoying than 
serious. 

An intelligent recognition of these minor maladies 
and a prompt use of simple remedies can but conduce 
to the happiness of the babe as well as that of the 
entire household. 

An experience of over thirty years in the capacity of 
family physician has convinced me that, notwithstand- 
ing the numerous domestic works on medicine with 
which nearly every well-regulated household is supplied, 
there is still room for a book on " All About the Baby." 
There is a notable, but not surprising, ignorance every- 
where manifested upon questions of vital importance 
to the young babe — questions which are apt to be for* 
gotten when the doctor makes his professional call, 

(5) 



6 PREFACE. 

Again, a young wife who finds herself enceinte is 
possessed with all sorts of queries concerning her con- 
dition and prospects, and is often without a friend 
whom she can make a confidante, and be certain of 
receiving sound advice. From the beginning to the 
end of pregnancy, and from thence on indefinitely, a 
conscientious mother is beset with living questions, 
which seem to hover about the home, and especially 
about the nursery, as if a large-sized interrogation 
point, instead of the traditional horseshoe, hung over 
the front door. 

The object of the present volume is to answer at least 
some of these ever-recurring questions, and to answer 
them in as plain and simple a manner as possible. 

The endeavor has been to make each page and para- 
graph of practical value. 

The few illustrations which embellish the work have 
been introduced because of their practical worth in 
making plain the text rather than to swell the bulk of 
the volume. 

The colored lithographs, showing the typical charac- 
teristics of scarlatina, measles, and rotheln, have been 
reproduced for this work by kind permission of William 
Wood & Co. of New York. They are undoubtedly the 
most lifelike illustrations of these diseases ever produced. 

The author is well aware of the fact that there are 
already in this field of usefulness a considerable num- 
ber of monographs, many of which are of decided merit, 
written by men prominent in the profession, and amply 
capable of satisfying all legitimate needs. Nearly all 
of these works, however, have been written from the 
allopathic standpoint, and fail to give the reader any 
information on the milder, safer, and, to the present 
author's mind, the more scientific method of treating 
children's diseases. 



PREFACE. 7 

The sensitive organism of the child requires the most 
delicate touches of pharmacy. 

However men and women regard heroic medication 
for themselves, it is almost universally conceded that 
Homeopathy is the safest and best for infants and 
children. 

Full, but brief and plain, instructions are given for 
the procuring and administration of Homeopathic 
drugs; and several pages are devoted to the sympto- 
matology of twenty-four leading remedies. 

It is not intended nor expected that this brochure will 
in any sense supplant the family physician, nor delay 
his coming when needed. The greater intelligence 
possessed by the mother, the more satisfactory will be 
his efforts, and the more will his superior skill be 
appreciated. 

In the ardent hope and firm belief that the volume 
will reach its desired end and be a blessing to anxious 
mothers, it is respectfully submitted by 

The Author. 



AND SAY TO MOTHERS WHAT A 

HOLY CHARGE 
IS THEIRS— WITH WHAT A KINGLY 

POWER THEIR LOVE 
MIGHT RULE THE FOUNTAINS OF THE 

NEW-BORN MIND." 

MRS. SIGOURNEY, 



PART I. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

As a young wife and prospective mother there are many 
questions which I wish to ask some one who is wiser and 
more experienced than myself; and if you will kindly 
listen to my queries and patiently answer them y I shall 
feel greatly obliged to you.. First of all I wish to know how 
I am to tell about when I may expect a realization of my 
hopes in the birth of my babe ? 

The period of gestation lasts, on an average, two hun- 
dred and eighty days, or ten days over nine calendar 
months. You should estimate your time from the cessa- 
tion of your last menstrual period. Another way of 
counting the time is to count backward three months 
from the date of the beginning oi the last menstruation, 
and then add seven days. 

But is this time absolute and invariable ? 

No, not quite absolute. It sometimes happens that 
there is a variation of from one to several days either 
way. Women, as a rule, are more apt to go over than 
fall short in their time. No physician can be positive 
or exact to the day, or hour, because experience teaches 
that there is often a divergence from the established 
rule, and some mothers go over, while some fall short of, 
the normal time. While the average period is as stated, 
viz., two hundred and eighty days, cases have been 
recorded where the period was shortened to two hun- 
dred and forty, and in one recorded instance the term 
from conception to delivery was three hundred and 
twenty. Such cases, however, are very exceptional. 

(in 



12 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

A t what period of pregnancy does the form begin to 
change ', and the abdomen show perceptible enlargement ? 

At first the gravid womb sinks down into the pelvic 
cavity, and during the first two months it sinks lower 
and lower, so that the abdomen seems rather more flat 
than usual. 

By the third month the womb has grown so large 
that the pelvis can not well hold it, and it begins to rise 
and make room for itself above the pelvic brim. From 
this time onward the figure changes gradually until it 
reaches its maximum about the eighth month. 

What is quickening, and when is it first experienced? 

Quickening is the first recognizable movement of the 
fetus in utero, and is usually felt about four and one-half 
months after conception, or at mid-term. After motion 
is first felt it should continue to be noticed, if all goes 
well, to the completion of gestation. This " feeling life," 
or quickening, however, is, like all other symptoms of 
pregnancy, liable to many modifications as well as some 
vagaries. In some it amounts to no more than a merely 
tremulous feeling within the abdomen, and nervous 
women sometimes imagine they feel it long before they 
actually do. In some cases the motion of the fetus is 
lost for weeks together, without any known cause and 
without there being any ground for alarm. 

Is it possible for the mother or her physician to antici- 
pate or foretell a twin pregnancy ? 

It is not. Undue enlargement of the abdomen may 
be due to an excess of "waters," and the heart-beats of 
the fetus are only to be detected by a practiced ear, and 
sometimes not even then. 

Is there any way of ascertaining the sex of the child 
or of influencing it before birth ? 



INTRODUCTORY. 13 

For full information on this subject, see appendix 
inserted in the back of this book. Other matters of an 
equally private nature will also be found therein. 

Can a woman, by any volition of her own, influence the 
character, temperament, or bent of her child before its 
birth ? 

It is very doubtful if this be possible. She may 
unconsciously, and without volition, determine some- 
thing of her child's future and may transmit to it her 
own individual traits of character. So, also, the father 
may unconsciously stamp his offspring with some or 
many of his individual peculiarities. But it is extremely 
doubtful if a mother can, by any act of mind or will, 
give any desired trait or bent to the mental or physical 
character of her unborn babe. 

If a motJier is nervous, will Iter baby be correspond- 
ingly so ? 

Not necessarily nor invariably so ; but a woman who 
is pregnant should not allow herself to become nervous 
if she can help it. Nervousness is always exhausting, 
and she requires all of her strength and vitality to 
properly develop her child while it is in utero. If she is 
fretful and irritable, and fritters her strength away in 
repinings and querulousness, she need not be surprised 
if her babe, when born, is puny and nervous. It does 
not follow from this that her nervousness has been 
directly transmitted to her child, for I do not believe 
that this is the case. 

Then you do not believe in prenatal influences f 
Do not misunderstand me. I believe most thoroughly 
in heredity, and the transmission of family and indi- 
vidual characteristics. 

Some one has said that " it takes four generations to 



14 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

make a boy without freckles," which is only another 
way of saying that "blood tells." 

Racial peculiarities are generally well marked, as 
note those of the Chinese, the Japanese, the Jews, and 
other races. But these instances only illustrate the fact 
that many generations are necessary to produce fixed 
individualities. Even then there are always possible 
deviations from the type, so that no rule can be laid 
down that has not its exceptions. 

But, doctor, I have heard and read of many instances 
wherein children Jiave been marked by the mother in 
various zvays, by dwelling upon certain tilings or seeing 
certain sights during Iter pregnancy that seemed certainly 
to impress their image on her offspring. 

That is true, no doubt, but all such stories are to be 
taken with some " grains of salt" Many instances 
which are cited as proof of prenatal influences, when 
sifted to the bottom, prove to be mere coincidences, 
while many others are purely imaginary. Still, I should 
say, if a mother gathers any comfort to herself from a 
belief that she can influence her unborn babe for good 
by fixing her mind upon lofty ideals and beautiful and 
pleasing thoughts, by all means let her views and hopes 
remain unshaken. 

Surely no one but a true wife and mother would have 
such aspirations and entertain such ambitions; and 
such a nature may well be buoyed up and encouraged 
by congenial friends, and by the happiest associations 
of a happy home. Let her gratify her love for the 
beautiful, for good books and music, and masterpieces 
of art. This will at least tend to relieve the tedious- 
ness of her waiting, and divert her mind from many 
harassing ailments and discomforts which are insep- 
arable from pregnancy. It will tend to uplift her 



INTRODUCTORY. 15 

own nature, and prepare her mind and body as well, 
for the final ordeal which awaits her. Books, pictures, 
works of art, pleasant and agreeable society — any 
and everything- which will conduce to a calm, cheer- 
ful, and happy frame of mind will be quite proper. 
At the same time the prospective mother should shun 
the society of gossipy and indiscreet friends, who 
would fill her mind with all sorts of nonsensical fads, 
and lead her to believe that every whim, however 
absurd, must be gratified, or injury to the child will 
result; or, on the other hand, that she must live the life 
of a recluse and abstain from all social pleasure, or 
equal harm will result. 

Is it necessary or best to consult the family physician 
before his services are actually needed? 

It is always best to do so, for many reasons. There 
are many details of pregnancy which may seem trivial 
to the novice, but which in a given case may be of the 
gravest import. The advice of a wise and discreet 
physician should be early sought and his services 
engaged. He may greatly aid you in avoiding dangers 
incidental to your condition, and be of much help in pre- 
paring you for a full realization of your fond hopes. If 
the physician should decide that an examination is nec- 
essary to determine the size of the pelvis and the posi- 
tion of the child, by all means let him make it, as by 
this means he may be able to save you much unnecessary 
pain and even danger. While the position of the child 
in liter o is, in the vast majority of cases, natural and 
best for delivery, there is occasionally a false presenta- 
tion, or, as it is termed, a vial-position. This can only 
be determined and rectified by a careful examination of 
the bony parts which make up the pelvis, and no feel- 
ing of prudery should interfere with its performance. 



16 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

The urine should be submitted to him for examina- 
tion at least each month after the sixth, and oftener, if 
he thinks best, in order that he may see if there is any 
disease of the kidneys present. This precaution should 
never be neglected, because many kidney diseases are 
insidious in their onset, and are only remediable in 
their early stages. 

What have you to say regarding the choice of a 
monthly nurse ? 

As a rule, this matter is best left with the physician 
who is to have charge of the confinement. The nurse 
should be engaged some weeks before she is expected 
to be needed, and if a graduate of some good training- 
school, she will be all the more serviceable. If not a 
graduate, she should be a woman in middle life and with 
experience and references. Professional midwives are, 
as a rule, to be avoided, for, while they may conduct a 
normal case without accident, few of them know any- 
thing about the simplest complications. Whether the 
nurse selected be professional or otherwise, trained or 
untrained, she should be subservient to the physician, 
and her advice should never be listened to when con- 
trary to his. The attending physician, even though 
young and inexperienced, is presumably thoroughly 
educated, and on his shoulders should all the responsi- 
bility rest. The nurse is there as his assistant, and it is 
her duty to follow his directions implicitly and to the 
letter. 

/ want to ask you another question, doctor, and that is 
about diet during pregnancy . May I eat whatever Izvish, 
or must I restrict myself to certain articles f 

The pregnant woman may give herself a wide liberty 
in the choice of her diet, but it should not be too stimu- 
lating nor exciting. Highly spiced and rich dishes, fried 



INTRODUCTORY. 17 

foods, and wines are not altogether best; and sweets 
and bonbons should be taken with great moderation, 
or not at all. Tea and coffee may be taken if desired, 
but should not be indulged in as substitutes for more 
wholesome foods. In a word, the diet should be plain, 
palatable, and with suitable variety. The young mother 
may and should eat more and with more frequency than 
other women. 

Your answer suggests another question. I have read 
somewhere that if a pregnant woman would restrict Jier- 
self to a diet of fruit and vegetables, it would insure a 
painless labor. Is this correct ? 

It is not at all certain that the object you seek to 
attain can be accomplished by any system of diet 
which you might adopt; but, even if it were successful, 
just think, for a moment, what the effect must be upon 
the baby, of starving its bony structure during the 
period of its intra-uterine existence. It can not help 
but retard or prevent its proper development. The 
human infant is an animal, not a vegetable, and it 
requires animal food as well as vegetable to properly 
nourish all of its growing parts — the bony framework 
not less than the muscular and nervous tissues. The 
baby's body is nourished, prior to birth, through the 
blood of the mother, and unless this blood is rich in 
albumen, phosphates, and all the other physiological ele- 
ments which enter into the animal organism, the result 
will be a puny weakling, which, if it lives at all, will be 
months, or perhaps 3-ears, in regaining what it was 
deprived of during its prenatal life. This question has 
been so admirably answered by Dr. Aimee Schroeder 
that I quote her exact words: "Certain writers have 
advocated the exclusive use of fruit or of vegetables in 
order to secure painless labor for the mother. Even 



18 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

were the result insured by such a course, which we have 
no warrant for believing, no true-hearted woman would 
wish to secure relief from pain at the expense of her 
child's health. That this would be the case is evident, 
since the whole aim of the treatment is to lessen the 
development of the infant and make its bones soft and 
pliable — in other words, to underfeed it and to give it a 
predisposition to rickets." 

But how do you account for the fact that many women 
have painless labors after following out this course of diet, 
and who have had painful and protracted labors pre- 
viously ? 

The first labor is nearly always the most painful and 
protracted. As a rule, subsequent labors are compara- 
tively brief and easy, no matter what the diet has been. 
Many women who have paid no attention to any routine 
diet have quick and easy labors; to attribute this exemp- 
tion from severe and protracted pain to indulgence in or 
abstinence from certain articles of food is very illogical. 

Should the daily bath be taken by a pregnant woman 
regardless of her condition ? 

It is all the more essential that she should observe 
the strictest rules of cleanliness, because in no other 
way can she so surely preserve or secure good health. 
The pores of the skin are easily clogged, which will 
conduce to pimples, biliousness, and overtaxed kidneys. 
The latter organs are especially liable to become con- 
gested or irritated during the latter months of preg- 
nancy from the mechanical pressure of the enlarged 
womb, and when this is the case the skin affords relief 
by ridding the blood of poisonous matters, which, if 
retained in the system, might cause severe illness. The 
external genitals may be bathed as often as desired, 
and a full or sponge bath should be taken daily. Turk- 



INTRODUCTORY. 19 

ish or Russian baths are too violent in their reactions, 
and are therefore to be avoided ; and sea-baths are also 
too stimulating" and require too rigorous exercise to 
be safe ; but full baths, sponge baths, and sitz baths are 
both safe and wholesome. 

Topical baths, i. e., douches and enemas, may also be 
taken as required, but they should be neither so cold 
nor so hot as to produce a shock to the delicate and 
hypersensitive mucous membrane. When enemas are 
used, care should be taken that the water is not pro- 
jected internally with too much force against the neck 
of the womb, as it might be dangerous to do so. 

I feci sleepy all the time, and wonder if I should yield 
to the feeling or struggle against it? 

Your condition, madam, requires plenty of sleep. 
Repose of both mind and body are prime requisites for 
your own health and that of your infant. Frequent 
naps during the day will do you good, and your night's 
rest should be long and undisturbed. You should lie 
down and invite sleep frequently during the day. Even 
if you do not sleep, the muscles will relax, and you will 
feel relieved from that tired and exhausted feeling 
which is so annoying, especially during the later months 
of pregnancy. 

This advice should not, however, interfere with a due 
amount of exercise in the open air. Exercise promotes 
the proper circulation of the blood and insures its 
distribution to all parts of the organism. It prevents 
congestion and gives tone to the muscles and nerves. 
It favors sleep and assists the peristaltic action of the 
bowels. I can not emphasize too much the importance 
of exercise during the entire nine months of pregnancy. 
Just as more food is necessary to properly nourish the 
two organisms than would be required if only one were 



20 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

considered, so there is a double demand for oxygen to 
properly oxidize the new-formed blood and make it fit 
for the upbuilding of the fetal body. 

I have alread}- spoken of the importance of the daily 
bath, that the mother's skin may be kept in an active 
and healthy state ; and bathing and exercise go hand 
in hand to promote a perfect state of health for both 
mother and babe. 

What exercise do you think best for one in my con- 
dition i ? 

I am glad you asked this question, for ruthless and 
reckless exercise would be very dangerous. The preg- 
nant woman should not indulge in any exercise that is 
fatiguing or exhausting. She should avoid horseback 
riding, running, jumping, dancing, and indeed all violent 
exercise of a jerky or spasmodic nature. Lifting heavy 
weights which bring a strain on the abdominal muscles 
is particularly dangerous. 

Reaching up with the arms, as in raising a window 
sash or hanging pictures, should be avoided. 

Drives on smooth roads, with a careful driver and an 
honest horse, are quite permissible. 

Riding in street cars is especially beneficial, as the 
track is level and free from jolts. 

Quiet walks, however, when the weather permits, are 
better than riding, and if the walk can be made agree- 
able by pleasant company or by visiting a park or a 
greenery, so much the better. The jostling of a crowd 
is to be avoided, and so is the participation in any 
exciting or violent games or sports. 

What hare yon to suggest regarding clothing ? 

This is a very important matter, since it involves i\ot 
alone the comfort of the mother but also the welfare 
of the child. The pregnant woman should dress with 



INTRODUCTORY. 21 

special reference to comfort, which means that her gar- 
ments should all be loose. She should discard corsets 
from the beginning- of her pregnancy, and garters also. 
Special waists are made for women who are enceinte^ 
and can be obtained of any corset maker or at any dry 
goods store. To these waists the underclothing may be 
fastened by buttons or otherwise, so that their weight 
may be borne by the shoulders instead of the hips and 
abdomen. A lady patient tells me that a very comfort- 
able waist may be improvised out of an old corset by 
removing the steels and sewing on buttons near the 
lower edge, to which the underclothing may be attached. 
If desired or made necessary by the fullness of the 
breasts, the corset may be cut down all around or simply 
in front. In this way the figure is preserved, and the 
feeling of support is maintained without undue pres- 
sure anywhere. Neither the demands of fashion nor a 
feeling of false pride should deter a woman from dress- 
ing in a way which will make her most comfortable 
and best subserve her own and her infant's welfare. 

As to the kind and quality of he?' clothing what have 
yon to say ? 

These matters are best left to the taste and the wealth 
of each individual. If woolen garments irritate the 
skin, a light gauze undergarment may be worn next 
the body, but merino is softest and best in our North- 
ern climate, where sudden and severe changes are so 
common. 

WJiat is the meaning of the word " enceinte" and why 
is it so generally used to describe a woman who is preg- 
nant f 

The origin of the word conveys such a suggestive 
lesson that I am glad you asked the question. 

It was a custom amone the Roman ladies to wear a 



22 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

light but tight girdle about their waists, which was 
called a cincture; but on the occurrence of pregnancy 
this restraint was removed. A woman so circumstanced 
was therefore said to be inci?tcta, or unbound. The term 
enceinte is derived from this, and has come to be univer- 
sally adopted to indicate the pregnant condition. 

The sense of relief from stays which every pregnant 
woman feels when she divests herself from all com- 
pression caused by fashionable evening attire, should 
teach the prospective mother the necessity of forego- 
ing social pleasures which necessitate a confinement of 
the body, for it is not only most uncomfortable for her- 
self, but is liable to cause serious injury to her child. 
During gestation the uterus increases, on the average, 
from two to fourteen inches in diameter. It must be 
obvious how vain as well as criminal must be any effort 
to contract it, and thus to conceal its enlargement. 
" Palpitation of the heart, indigestion, disease of the 
liver, and costiveness; difficulty of breathing, spitting 
of blood, and persistent coughs; enlarged veins in the 
legs, swellings in the lower limbs, disorders of the 
womb, deformity of the offspring, and numerous other 
affections have their origin in tight lacing; and, finally, 
if the child be born alive and molded aright, and the 
mother escape her self-created perils, it may be ques- 
tioned if compressed breasts and nipples can afford the 
requisite nutriment when the time comes for her to 
do so. 

" The dress should be arranged, both as to material 
and quantity, with a view to comfort and to the season. 
There must be no pressure on any part; even the gar- 
ters should be loosely worn, or discarded altogether. 
The feet and abdomen should be kept warm, since 
habitual coldness of these parts predisposes to colic, 
headache, and miscarriage." 



INTRODUCTORY. 23 

WJiat are the first signs of a threatened miscar- 
riage f 

Any show of blood coming- from the uterus during 
pregnancy is to be looked upon with suspicion. Pain 
of any kind which is referable to the pelvic organs is 
also of bad omen. During normal pregnancy there is 
neither one nor the other. 

The pain which precedes miscarriage, and which is 
more or less ominous of it, may be in the back or in 
the abdomen, but is usually paroxysmal, that is, recur- 
ring at more or less regular intervals. The hern- 
orrhage which accompanies the pain is little or much, 
according to the development of the fetus. The ear- 
lier an abortion occurs the more ill-defined are the 
symptoms, but pain and hemorrhage, combined in 
greater or less degree, are always present. 

Docs a miscarriage come suddenly, or are tJiere pre- 
monitory symptoms ? 

Sometimes the miscarriage is sudden and without 
warning, but, as a rule, symptoms, more or less marked, 
precede it. These symptoms are, in addition to those 
mentioned above, a feeling of lassitude, chilliness, fre- 
quent desire to pass water, a white or colored discharge 
from the vagina, a sensation of weight and fullness in 
the abdomen.- If these symptoms are not promptly 
arrested, the flow of blood becomes more profuse and 
recurs each time the patient rises from the bed or 
makes any exertion. Sometimes these symptoms — 
most or all of them — persist for weeks before the 
fetus is finally discharged. In some cases the flow is 
suspended for days, or even weeks, before the final 
catastrophe, and then is generally very profuse. 

At what period of pregnancy are miscarriages most 
common ? 



24 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

They may occur at any time, but are most to be 
feared at the third and seventh months. They are 
more likely to happen at the time when, ordinarily, the 
menstrual flow would occur than in the middle of the 
month. If a woman has once had a miscarriage she 
should, if again pregnant, be very careful at each recur- 
rence of her monthly epoch, and especially so about 
the third month. 

What are the causes of miscarriage which I may 
avoid with care ? 

The causes are very various. With some women it 
is only by the greatest carefulness that a miscarriage 
can be obviated. Any preceding disease of the uterus, 
such as inflammation, ulceration, tumors, displacements, 
may give rise to it. Constipation may be an active 
cause, by the violent straining accompanying the efforts 
at stool. Falls, however slight; violent emotions, fright, 
shock, blows on the abdomen, over-exertion, excessive 
fatigue, active purgatives, lifting heavy weights or 
stretching the arms over the head in adjusting curtains 
or fixtures, prolonged use of the sewing machine — any 
one of these causes may precipitate a miscarriage in 
one who has a tendency in that direction. 

Women differ so widely in their aptitudes or tenacity 
that no general rule can be formulated, but from what 
has been said, the general idea can scarcely fail to be 
gathered. 

In case a miscarriage is threatened, what is the first 
tiling to do ? 

Lie down on the back. If at home, remove the cloth- 
ing and go to bed. If the hemorrhage is profuse, have 
the hips raised and lower the head. Summon your 
physician and remain as just directed until he arrives. 

If only slight pains are felt, with or without a slight 



INTRODUCTORY. 25 

show, follow the same instructions and keep very quiet 
for a few days, only rising from the bed when com- 
pelled to do so by the calls of nature. If no physician 
is available, take from your medicine case some Ipecac 
or China. If these are not at hand, send to the nearest 
drug-gist and get some Viburnum Compound (Hayden's) 
and take a teaspoonful every two hours. If there is 
much pain, take an eighth of a grain of morphine, or, 
still better, fifteen drops of McMunn's Elixir of Opium. 
Any preparation of opium will answer, in half ordinary 
doses, but the above are best. Do not apply hot cloths 
or hot bottles, but remain quiet until the doctor comes, 
or until the danger is over. 

Is it ever possible to stop a miscarriage if it is once 
threatened ? 

Why, certainly! Multitudes of women have become 
happy mothers after repeated threatenings and even 
profuse hemorrhages. You should never despair of 
arresting the misfortune until you have exhausted every 
means to do so. Of all the measures spoken of, or known 
to science, rest is the most valuable and efficient. 

Is titer e any special care of the breasts that I need to 
know about? 

It is quite important to know that certain changes 
take place in the breasts, and that there are certain 
deformities of the nipple, which, while usually trifling in 
themselves, may make it very annoying when it comes 
to begin the important function of nursing. 

As pregnancy advances, the breasts become more 
prominent, firmer, and larger, and a deposit of coloring 
matter (pigment) takes place in the zone or ring about 
the nipples. This darkening of the "areola," as it is 
called, is most marked in brunettes. Small projecting 
bodies like pimples are to be observed in this colored 



26 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

ring - , which are small auxiliary glands. The changes 
just mentioned occur only during the first pregnancy, 
as they are permanent. It sometimes happens that the 
nipple is undeveloped, or so retracted that it does not 
project beyond the level of the skin around it. In such 
cases the nipple must be drawn out, either by the 
thumb and finger, or by other means to be mentioned. 
A Goodyear breast-pump is a very efficient means of 
drawing- it out, and another method which is often 
resorted to is to use a common clay pipe with the edge 
of the bowl smoothed off and suction made on the stem 
by an attendant. By attaching a rubber tube to the 
stem of the pipe, the person herself may perform this 
office. The suction should be continued for several 
minutes at a time. The breasts, especially the nipples, 
should be bathed every day, because qtiite early in preg- 
nancy some milk is secreted and is apt to ooze out of 
the nipples and incrust them, blocking up the milk 
ducts and causing an irritation in them. This should 
be carefully washed off daily, and the nipples manipu- 
lated delicately with the fingers. They should after- 
wards be anointed with white vaseline, cocoa butter, 
or cold cream. 

The attempt to harden the nipples with wine or alco- 
hol is not to be recommended. 

In case of fissures or cracks in the nipples, the atten- 
tion of a physician should be called to it; but if a doc- 
tor is not to be had, the nipples may be painted over 
daily (after washing and drying) with Compound Tinc- 
ture of Benzoin. 

Dr. Aimee Schroeder, from whom we have quoted 
before, says: "Oil gently rubbed on the whole breast 
every evening will do much to relieve the feeling of 
tightness and discomfort which comes from its swollen 
condition." 



INTRODUCTORY. 27 

But you would not advise a continuance of bathing the 
breasts after nursing is begun, would you ? I have 
heard that this is dangerous. 

The idea that bathing the breasts under these cir- 
cumstances is dangerous is utter folly — a stupid notion 
born of some old woman who was slovenly in her per- 
sonal habits, and excused herself on grounds of danger. 
There is never any danger in being clean. Every time 
the child nurses, the mother should bathe her breasts 
immediately after with lukewarm water, and occasion- 
ally with castile soap and water. If this is not done 
there is danger to the child from infection, for it is a 
well-established fact that uncleanliness invites the for- 
mation of myriads of living parasites (bacteria), which 
render the milk unwholesome. 

What diseases, if any, is a woman liable to contract in 
the course of her pregnancy ? 

None that she is not as much or more liable to in a 
non-pregnant condition. True, women do sometimes 
fall ill while enceinte, and with serious results; but in 
such cases a physician should be called at once, and his 
advice followed implicitly. It may be said, however, 
that nature is especially kind to the woman with child, 
and most women are especially well at this time. 

By attention to the hints herein given as to bathing, 
diet, exercise, etc., the young wife should look forward, 
with calm and proud expectancy, to the hour when she 
shall occupy that most exalted state which a woman 
only can occupy — a mother of a healthy and happy 
babe. 

DENTISTRY DURING PREGNANCY. 

/ have often heard that a pregnant zvoman should not 
have any dentistry done while in this condition, as it is 
dangerous to do so. Is this true ? 



28 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

I am well aware that there is a widespread belief to 
this effect, but I do not think such belief is well founded. 
In all my practice I have never known any ill effects 
from either the filling or extraction of teeth in women 
who were either in the early months or well advanced 
in pregnancy. 

It is true that the pregnant woman should avoid 
everything calculated to rasp or irritate her nervous 
system, and in a general way I would say that unneces- 
sary dentistry should be postponed until the puerperal 
period is passed. But an aching tooth should be treated 
at once. If filling a cavity will save a tooth, let it be 
done. If extraction of a tooth is deemed necessary, no 
fear need be had that it will change the prospects of a 
safe delivery. Lest this opinion, which is based upon 
an extensive observation, might be wrong or partly 
wrong, I have asked the question of several of the most 
prominent and experienced dentists of this city, and 
they are all in accord with the opinion which I have 
just expressed. 

Why do some women suffer from " varicose veins " when 
pregnant ? 

Varicose veins are not common during first preg- 
nancies, but are not at all uncommon in subsequent 
ones. They are caused by the pressure of the enlarged 
womb on the blood vessels, which obstructs the flow 
of blood in the veins, and causes them to become dis- 
tended and painful. 

Is there any remedy for this trouble? 

As the cause is purely mechanical, the treatment 
must also be mechanical. A woman who has this 
trouble should spend a great deal of her time lying 
down or sitting with the feet elevated. She should not 
be on her feet continuously for more than an hour at a 



PREPARATORY. 29 

time. The greatest relief will be found in wearing the 
elastic stocking, which can be had of any druggist or 
medical-instrument maker after giving the proper 
measurements. This should be worn when standing 
and removed when lying down. After the baby is 
born, the veins generally regain their elasticity and 
normal size. In some cases this trouble arises from 
wearing corsets or some other article of clothing which 
obstructs the circulation. 



CHAPTER II. 



PREPARATORY. 



/ trust y on will pardon my ignorance about all matters 
pertaining to a baby's zvelfare, for I am so situated that 
I have no intimate friends with cJiildren; and as you 
have volunteered to assist me, I want to ask you not only 
about my own and my baby's health and comfort, but 
also about the preparation for the advent of the little 
stranger; and first please tell me about the baby's ward- 
robe. What articles of dress must I provide, and how 
many of each kind? 

I have asked one of my lady friends, who has had 
several children, with wardrobes which were beyond 
criticism, to answer this question for me. The ward- 
robe here given is a copy of that provided for a 
daughter born while this book was being written. I 
shall give her description of it in her own language: 

The most important thing to be remembered, in pre- 
paring the baby's clothes, is to have no starchy edges or 



30 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

rough points of any kind to come in contact with the 
tender flesh. Never let neck or sleeves of dresses or 
gowns be starched. Have the pinning blankets either 
bound with soft flannel binding or turned over and 
feather-stitched in a hem, with raw edge out. Let the 
neck and armholes of flannel skirts be scalloped with 
tiny scallops and soft silk. This is taking for granted 
that the Gertrude patterns are used. 

For number of garments in baby's wardrobe I think 
that the list should be about as follows: 

Six dresses. 

Six slips, which are only a little more simple than the 
dresses, and which the baby is to wear altogether for 
the first month or six weeks. 

Six white petticoats of Gertrude pattern, with two 
buttons on each shoulder. 

Four flannel shirts. 

Four day flannel skirts, a little more elaborate and 
of finer flannel than the four night flannel skirts. 

Note.— There should be some cotton in all the flannel 
used, for obvious reasons. 

Six muslin night gowns. 

Four flannel wrappers for night wear in cool or 
cold weather. 

Four or six pinning blankets. 

At least four dozen cotton diapers. Don't use linen, 
for the sake of baby's comfort. A diaper twelve inches 
wide is the smallest that can be used. Twenty- two 
inches wide is needed after a few weeks. 

Note. — A diaper needs to be just twice its width, in 
length. An eighteen-inch diaper should be thirty-six 
inches, or a yard, in length, after a narrow hem is taken 
off — a twenty-two inch, forty-four inches long, and one 
twenty-seven inches wide, fifty-four inches long. After 



PREPARATORY. 31 

the baby is six months of age the largest size diaper 
(twenty-seven inches) is generally needed. 

Two flannel aprons, to be used for the baby's bath, 
are very desirable. They are made of rather cheap 
flannel, and should be large enough to cover the front 
of the mother's dress. Tapes at neck and waist are of 
advantage. 

Several little cheese-cloth comforts are also useful 
for spreads. 

Four soft flannel bands, which are simply straight 
pieces of flannel, say twenty-two by five inches, 
unhemmed. 

In ordering cotton, which yon seem to prefer, wltat sort 
of cotton do I want f 

Be particular to ask for regular diaper cotton, which 
all dry-goods stores keep; but if the clerk does not 
understand what you wish, ask for "bird's-eye " cotton. 
Some physicians advise linen diapers in preference to 
cotton, on the ground that linen is less heating, and is 
less liable to cause chafing when wet. 

Bnt is the preference for linen over cotton a valid 
one ? 

I do not think so. The napkin, or diaper, as I prefer 
to call it, should be soft and pliant, and linen is harsh 
and cold. As the diapers should be changed as soon as 
soiled, and never be used again until thoroughly washed, 
dried, and aired, an abundant supply is necessary; but 
the cost of material does not influence my judgment in 
the least in expressing the preference I do. Cotton or 
Canton flannel is soft and comfortable to the skin, while 
linen is always harsh and rasping, from its fibrous texture. 

But when a baby soils numerous diapers in a day, hoiv 
is one to keep the supply fresh, as you say it ought to be f 



32 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Only by having an ample supply, and by scrupulous 
cleanliness can the baby be well cared for. Never use 
a damp diaper, unless you wish to invite rheumatism or 
some other malady which comes from exposure to cold 
and dampness. Dampness is not the only danger 
arising from newly washed diapers. They should be 
aired, and, when possible, exposed to the sunlight, 
for fresh air and sunshine are the best deodorizers 
and disinfectants. It is important, in washing the 
baby's linen (?), to insist that the laundress use only 
pure soap rather than soda, for the latter is irritating 
and liable to produce excoriation of buttocks and 
neighboring skin. 

How about knitted bands, and how are they made ? 

Instead of the flannel bands, or "binders," some 
mothers prefer those which are knitted or crocheted. 
Any woman who is apt with the knitting-needle ought 
to be able to make one, and this may be said in its 
favor: It is much more apt to keep its place and is more 
readily applied. In either case, whichever is preferred, 
the band should be long enough to go round the body 
and lap a little, and wide enough to extend from just 
above the brim of the pelvis to just to, but not above, 
the armpits. The knitted band needs no pins. There 
should be, in the baby's stock of clothing, several of 
these bands, and of different lengths, so as to adapt 
them to the growth of the infant.* 

* Dz'rections for Crocheted Baby Band: Single zephyr in 
ridges stitch, that is, half-stitch, in which, going back and forth, 
only the back half of the stitches in the lower row are picked up. 
Begin on a chain of fifty and crochet forty-eight ridges, hence 
ninety-six rows. Join \>y a row of tight stitches or by sewing. 
Finish off at bottom by a row of plain stitches, and at top by a 
picat-edging (five chains and a tight stitch back into the first). 
Babyhood, Vol. Ill, page 33. 



PREPARATORY. 33 

How long should these " bauds " /;<- worn t 
The object of putting- them on at all is to avoid rupture, 
by supporting the abdominal muscles, which are often 
put upon strong tension when the baby cries, and also 
to protect the abdomen from chill in cold, damp weather. 
The snug bands, flannel or knitted, should be worn for 
the first three months. After this it is a wise precau- 
tion to have the baby wear a loose flannel band next the 
body for a year and a half or two years. It is a great 
safeguard against bowel troubles. The band, if desired, 
can have tapes over the arms as the baby grows older, 
so as to be easily held in place. 

Do you approve of the rubber diaper for an outside 
covering? 

No, I do not. It confines the dampness, sweats the 
parts that it covers, and is liable to produce eczema. 

Is there anything more which you would suggest as to 
clothing/ 

You will not need to use the entire wardrobe daily, of 
course, and hence there is need of a " basket " which will 
contain the articles for the toilet and an assortment of 
clothing for the day's uses. An ideal basket for the 
baby's first toilet should contain the following : Two 
soft towels, a cake of white castile or carmel soap, baby 
powder (talcum or starch), a soft velvet sponge, plenty 
of large and small safety pins, a spool of bobbin or 
linen tape, very narrow; a pair of blunt-pointed scissors, 
a jar of white vaseline, some soft old linen or cambric 
handkerchiefs for baby's mouth, absorbent cotton for 
dressing the navel, boracic acid, bottle sweet oil, two 
diapers, some flannel, like an old soft skirt, to wrap the 
baby in when first born, a very soft brush for the hair. 

For clothing put in the basket : A belly-band, 
shirt, pinning blanket, flannel skirt, night dress, either 



34 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 




muslin or flannel, according to season; one blanket or 
comforter. 

To this list may properly be added, later on, 
a soft merino shawl or a crocheted sacque, for 
a wrap in emergencies or in cold weather ; also 
a pair of worsted socks or bootees. 

In addition there should be provided a port- 
able bath-tub and a bath thermometer. (See 
Fig. i.) 

Socks, sacques, and caps are such stereotyped 
gifts that nearly every mother is amply sup- 
plied with them through friends. It may not 
be amiss, however, to describe the socks, which 
are quite essential to the baby's complete out- 
fit. They may be made of silk thread, or, still 
better, of soft worsted yarn, fashioned by 
needles into the shape of shoes and of such a 
size as to fit the feet loosely. They should cover 
the leg two inches or more from the ankle. 

You speak of the "Gertrude" pattern; will 
you be kind enough to tell me what yoti mean by 
that ? 

The Gertrude suit is the happy invention of 
my friend Dr. L. C. Grosvenor of this city. The 
description here given is from his own pen: 

"The undergarment (see Fig. 4) is made of 
some warm, soft, fleecy material and reaches 
from the neck to the wrists, and to eight or ten 
inches below the feet. The hems and seams 
are turned up on the outside, so that it is soft 
and fleecy within. 
Fig. i. « Patterns of the Gertrude suit (four in a set 
for $1.00) can be obtained of the Delbridge-Smith Co., 
65 Washington Street, Chicago. 



PREPARATORY. 



35 



"The second garment (see Fig-. 2) is of the same 
shape as the other, with the same princess curves, but 

without sleeves. It is an inch 
larger than the other one, so 
as to fit over it comfortably. 
The armholes are pinked or 
scalloped, but not bound, so 
as to be easy and comfortable 
to the body. This middle gar- 
ment is made of baby flannel. 
" The dress (see Fig. 3) is of 
any material you like, warmer 
in winter and cooler in sum- 
mer, but of the same princess 
shape, only slightly larger, so 




Fig. 2. 
as to fit comfortably over the 
others. This may be made 
simple or as elaborate as you 
please. 

" These three garments are 
put together before dress- 
ing — body within body and 
sleeve w r ithin sleeve. After 
diapering the baby, the suit 
is put over its head as one 
garment, the little bare arms 
going into the sleeves without 
friction or fretting. Tie and Fig. 3. 

button behind, and the baby is dressed with one pin 
instead of fifteen. Each garment has a draw-string tie 




36 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



at the neck to make it fit a baby of any size. These tie 
strings should be of different colors, so as not to mis- 
match in tying. The back of each garment is opened 

downward about five or six 
inches, and in the middle of 
the span is one button, so that 
each garment has a tie and 
one button only. 

■" The night gown, of some 
soft and warm material, is 
made just like the undergar- 
ment in the suit (see Fig. 4). 
This and the diaper is all the 
baby wears at night." 

The advantages of this 
method of dressing are ob- 
vious: 

1. Perfect freedom to the 
organs contained within the 
chest, stomach, and pelvis. 

2. Suspension of the cloth - 
Fig. 4. ing from the shoulders. 

3. Saving of time to the mother, and fatigue to the 
infant, in the process of dressing. 

4. A uniform covering of the whole body. 

WJiat preparations, which refer exclusively to herself, 
are necessary for a prospective mother ? 

By the time these preparations are needed she will 
have engaged her medical attendant, if she is wise, and 
this question should be submitted to him. However, 
the list should include: A rubber sheet, one yard wide 
by two yards long; a pad for the bed about a yard 
square, made of cheap cheese cloth, boiled before making 
up, and filled with absorbent cotton. To be destroyed 




PREPARATORY. 37 

after use. An old quilted piece of some kind, or rug, to 
protect the carpet, and two soft, old sheets. Three or 
four of the large pads are most useful. Four or five 
dozen small pads made of the same boiled cheese cloth 
and absorbent cotton are needed. These should be 
wrapped in packages of a dozen each in a clean towel 
and pinned, and baked in a hot oven for half an hour or 
more, to sterilize them, and then laid away. A fountain 
syringe, bed pan, light papier-mache bowl, and plenty of 
night dresses are necessary for the mother's comfort. 
There should be plenty of towels and a large new sponge. 

In addition to these articles it would be well to pro- 
vide, also, the following: Chloroform, eight ounces; 
brandy, four ounces; vinegar, four ounces; absorbent 
cotton, half-pound package; carbolized gauze, one can; 
carbolized vaseline, one ounce; large safety pins; fluid 
extract of ergot, one ounce; pure olive oil, one pint. 

Should I not also provide an abdominal binder? 

You may properly provide one, or better two, but as 
to using it you must consult your physician. Person- 
ally, I do not allow my patients to use them until they 
begin to sit up — at the end of the tenth to the four- 
teenth day, under favorable conditions. The use of a 
tight-fitting binder after child-birth is today condemned, 
and one can easily see that to force the enlarged uterus 
back against the spinal column and hold it there during 
the two weeks in which it should be regaining its normal 
size and position (which is leaning forward) invites a 
serious mal-position later. This objection does not 
hold, however, after the end of the second week, for by 
that time the uterus has, or should have descended into 
the pelvis. 

Let me ask you again: Would you advise me to pro- 
cure the services of a trained nurse, or is it better to 
depend on the old-fashioned kind ? 



38 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

I should unqualifiedly and unhesitatingly recommend 
the trained nurse. 

Are all women sick at the stomach when pregnant ? 

No. Many women feel especially well at such a time, 
and have a good appetite and good digestion throughout. 

What is the cause of this morning sickness ? 

It is a reflex phenomenon, having its origin in the 
womb, and is usually most troublesome during the early 
months of pregnancy, when the womb first begins to 
undergo those changes connected with this condition. 

Is this terrible nausea usually continuous during the 
whole nine months ? 

It is only in extreme and exceptional cases that it 
continues longer than three or four months. 

What is the best treatment for it ? 

There is no specific remedy, but much relief may be 
obtained by various means. When the nausea is exces- 
sive, the reclining position should be kept much of the 
time. Something stimulating to the stomach should be 
taken in the morning before rising. Some cases are 
relieved by drinking a glass of champagne the first thing 
in the morning; others do better with a cup of tea or hot 
chocolate, and others get more relief from a glass of cold 
koumiss. The odor of cooking should be avoided if pos- 
sible. Nothing so quickly turns a delicate stomach as 
the smell from the kitchen. It is well, in extreme cases, 
to serve all meals in bed, or at least in the private room, 
where neither sight nor smell will be offended by quan- 
tities of food. The individual should not be consulted 
concerning the preparation of each meal, for when the 
stomach is qualmish, even the thought of food produces 
a wave of nausea. Let small quantities of favorite and 
nutritive dishes be prepared and brought to her at odd 
times. If daintily served, the weak stomach may be 
surprised into tolerance of edibles in this way. 



PREPARATORY. 39 

What diet is best under these circumstances'? 

It is useless to lay down strict rules for eating when 
everything is distasteful. Let the food be as concen- 
trated as possible, so that a little may do as much good 
as possible. 

Egg-nog, ice cream, a bit of rare steak, a delicately 
cooked lamb chop, a bird, sweet breads, oysters, etc., 
fill this requirement. One of the best known articles 
is clam broth, but all kinds of light meat broths and 
gruels are wholesome and should be drunk out of a cup 
or small bowl as a sort of mild deception to the eye as 
to the quantity imbibed. 

Are there no medicines which will afford relief to this 
most distressing condition f 

Often much good comes from the use of Warner's 
Effervescent Oxalate of Cereum, and from drinking 
some of the alkaline waters, such as Vichy or Apolli- 
naris. Ingluvin in large doses (15-20 gr.) acts won- 
derfully well in many cases. Among Homeopathic 
remedies the best are Ipecac, Nux Vomica, Aletris, and 
Arsenicum. 

But when such sickness persists for months, is it not 
dangerous, imperiling health, if not life ? 

Yes, the condition may become so serious as to be 
dangerous. When the vomiting is persistent, so that 
no food is retained at all, a physician should be con- 
sulted without delay. It is sometimes necessary to 
sacrifice the child to the interests of the mother, and 
the question of how long it is safe to experiment with 
palliative measures is occasionally a most delicate one. 

For the mother's encouragement it may be said that 
there is a tradition among nurses, which is as well 
founded as most traditions, that "a sick pregnancy is a 
safe pregnancy." While "morning sickness " is always 



40 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

distressing while it lasts, few women escape it, and 
unless it is extremely severe the young- wife need feel 
no apprehension, for in time the nausea will pass away, 
the appetite will surely return, and neither mother nor 
child will have suffered harm in consequence. 

Should the monthly nurse be called before labor begins ? 

By all means have your nurse in the house a few days 
before your expected confinement. She need not, in- 
deed it is best she should not, be with you all the time, 
but she should .be within call. She can help you to 
decide whether the pains are true labor pains or those 
false pains that often are very teasing and worrisome. 

But supposing my nurse is not with me, are there not 
symptoms or indications by wliicJi I can tell myself that 
labor is approaching? 

Pain, which is usually of a vague and ill-defined char- 
acter, is generally the first recognizable symptom, but 
there are others quite as marked to those who have 
once experienced them — such as a settling down or 
lowering of the enlarged abdomen. The bowels are 
generally loose just before labor begins, and women 
often experience a feeling of nausea or even faintness. 

What are the u false pains" to which you refer? 

They occur quite frequently during the two weeks 
before confinement, coming on at irregular intervals, and 
lasting a variable time. They are, for the most part, sit- 
uated in the abdomen, but may be in the back or loins. 
They differ from true labor pains in being irregular, 
both as to location and time. True labor pains may be 
felt either in the back or front; they last from a quarter 
to a half minute and return with considerable regularity, 
the intervals growing shorter and shorter as labor pro- 
gresses. At first they may be half or three-quarters of 



PREPARATORY. 41 

an hour apart, but they approach nearer together, and 
increase in severity, until they center in the back and 
become forcing, so that the impulse to seize upon some- 
thing while the pain lasts is quite uncontrollable. There 
is often a slight discharge of blood (sometimes called a 
"show"), which is almost positive proof that labor is 
about to commence. 

What is the u bag of water " and when does it break? 

The "bag of water" is a sac containing the fluid in 
which the child floats while in utero. The amount of 
this fluid varies greatly — from a pint or less to a gallon 
or more. As a general rule, the larger the quantity 
within certain limits, the easier the labor. When the 
quantity is very small the woman is said to have had a 
"dry labor." When the bag of water ruptures there is 
a sudden gush of liquid, or a more or less continuous 
flow. The rupture may take place at the very begin- 
ning of labor, or not until labor is well advanced. In 
either event the physician should be sent for at once, 
even though there has been but little or no pain. In 
exceptional cases the rupture takes place some days 
before the child is born. 

A re there other signs of impending labor ? 

The bowels are generally relaxed at the onset of 
labor, and there is frequently a sensation of "sinking" 
at the stomach, which is akin to nausea. If the bowels 
are confined and labor pains have begun, it will be 
quite proper to empty them by means of an enema 
before the physician arrives. 

How soon should the doctor be sent for ? 

He should be notified as soon as you have persistent 
pains in the abdomen. When the pains begin to recur 
at regular intervals and become what women describe 
as "bearing down pains," the doctor is needed. 



42 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

CHAPTER III. 

THE NURSERY. 

What have you to say, doctor, about the nursery — its 
location, furnishings, etc.? 

If one is about to build a modern home, and is unre- 
stricted as to space, and means to spend, in making the 
home complete, a competent architect can easily project 
an ideal nursery, the details of which will depend on 
location, size of house, and its architectural plan. What- 
ever the plan of the house in general, the nursery 
should preferably be on the second, or living, floor of 
the home. It should consist of two connecting rooms, 
one of which should be' used as a day nursery, and the 
other for night use. One or both should be in close 
proximity to the sleeping room of the mother. The 
day nursery should be well lighted, and so situated that 
it will receive plenty of sunshine. The connection 
between the two nurseries should be capable of com- 
plete closure by a well-fitted door, so that one room can 
be thoroughly aired without chilling the other, and 
capable of being thoroughly isolated by sealing in case 
one of several children should be ill with a contagious 
disease. It is a good idea to have the communicating 
door or doors fitted with glass panels, so that in case 
of need the mother may inspect the nursery without 
entering it. This is of special value if a nursing 
mother has at the same time an older child sick in the 
nursery, whom it would be imprudent to visit, but 
whom she can see without danger through the glass 
doors. Adjoining or near to one of these rooms should 
be the nursery water-closet, which should be arranged 
with special reference to thorough ventilation. On the 



THE NURSERY. 43 

next page is a ground plan of an ideal nursery, which 
has been prepared for me by my friend, Mr. Henry Ives 
Cobb, who has planned many of the finest homes in 
America. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLAN FOR AN IDEAL NURSERY. 

In the plan I have laid out I have disregarded every- 
thing except the necessary underlying principles of a 
satisfactory house for a family. The size and shape of 
the different rooms will depend upon the conditions 
under which the house is constructed, and the individ- 
ual taste of the owner. 

It will be noticed that the best room is taken for the 
family bedroom, in connection with which there is a 
dressing-room and a bath-room, thus giving proper 
and convenient arrangements for man and wife. One 
door closes all this from the hall. The family bedroom 
is connected with the night nursery, and that, in turn, 
with the day nursery. Convenient to the day nur- 
sery is the bath-room for the children, and immediately 
connecting with the day nursery is a small bedroom 
that can be used regularly as a nurses' room, but is 
very essential in case of sickness. It will be noticed 
that, while the house is comparatively small, two bath- 
rooms are provided. But I am sure you will agree with 
me in the sanitary idea of having plenty of running 
water, and avoiding the very common custom of a 
bowl and pitcher set upon a table or washstand, where 
one tries to wash oneself with a few teacupfuls of 
water, or take a bath, as some foreigners do, with a 
dash of water in a tin dish. The generous use of 
water should be encouraged by everyone, as there is 
nothing more health-giving. And the cost of the house 
had best be cut as to its ornamentation, and have 
proper and ample plumbing fixtures. 



44 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



At night, doors "A," " B, 




Fig. 5. 



and " C " are closed and 
locked, and the doors 
connecting the differ- 
ent rooms may all be 
left open. 

In case of sickness, 
the day nursery is used 
as the sick-room, with 
the maids' room for the 
nurses. 

If the sickness re- 
quires isolation, then 
doors "C" and "E" 
can be closed, and the 
patient and nurse are 
entirely shut off from 
the remainder of the 
house, and have the 
children's bath-room 
for their exclusive use. 

"DW" is a dumb 
waiter running from 
top to bottom of the 
house, that will save 
many steps, and dur- 
ing sickness is of great 
use. 

"E" should be a 
glass door, so that in 
case of sickness the 
isolated child may be 
seen and yet infection 
avoided. 

Every bedroom 
should have a fireplace, 



THE NURSERY. 45 

as there is no better ventilator; but great care should 
be taken to see that there is a tight damper, as often 
when there is no fire there will be a serious down- 
draft. 

The best system for introducing fresh air into a 
dwelling is by having very large flues for the heating 
apparatus. This should be enhanced by the windows, 
the sash of which should be constructed so that air may 
be introduced at the meeting rail without making an 
opening in the sill. This is accomplished in a very 
simple and effective manner by making the bottom rail 
of the lower sash about six inches wide, and having the 
inner sill (" C " in detail) of the window higher above 
the outer sill (" B ") than is customary. Thus the lower 
sash can be raised to the position as shown in Fig. 6, 
II, without making an opening at the sill, and yet the 
air can pass freely into the room at the meeting rail 
"D." 

But i)i case both space and money are wanting to pro- 
vide sncli an elaborate suit of rooms, how can the necessi- 
ties of the case — the actual requirements — be com- 
passed ? 

The single-room nursery should be a large, bright, 
and sunny room, with a southern exposure, if possible, 
and it should be connected more or less directly with 
the sleeping room of the mother. It is presumed that 
the mother will desire to have an immediate oversight 
of her infant, no matter how trustworthy and efficient 
the child's nurse may be. A nursery large enough for 
one child and its nurse should be not less than twelve 
feet square. If there are two or more children to 
occupy it, the nursery should be correspondingly large. 
It should be well lighted, and have a well-guarded fire- 
place in it. A fireplace is not only a good ventilator, 

4 



I (section) II 

DETAIL- OH WINDOW- PBAMD 

BY HEtN12Y 1VC3 COD5- A12CH1TCCT 
Fig. 6. 



THE NURSERY. 47 

but enables one to have a little fire mornings and even- 
ings in the early spring and fall, when the house is not 
steam-heated. The floor should be uncarpeted and of 
natural wood. The only carpeting* should, be in the 
way of rugs, that can be shaken and well aired daily, or 
dispensed with temporarily during contagious illness. 
Its furniture should be simple, no matter how elegant 
and expensive. 

No heavy curtain hangings or draperies are admissi- 
ble. They only harbor dust and disease germs. 

The washstand should be portable — not stationary — 
because all plumbing, no matter how costly and scien- 
tific, will become disordered in course of time, and 
is then a menace to life and health. The hardwood 
floor should be kept scrupulously clean, and the win- 
dows should be barred or otherwise protected against 
accidents. 

But, doctor, is it necessary to have the nursery so plainly 
furnished? Your description sounds like that of a bar- 
racks, and, with the barred windows^ something like a 
jail? 

Now that I read over what I have written, I must 
confess that it does sound as if the nursery were to be 
a bare and unattractive place, but it need not neces- 
sarily be so. 

A little display of tact and taste will make the room 
as pleasant as anyone could wish. The rugs may be 
as bright and cheerful as you please, but they had 
better be inexpensive. Painted Avails always look nice, 
if they are clean and the tints are good. Besides the 
pictures on the walls, some growing plants may be 
placed here and there; a canary, or other singing bird, 
may be provided, and, if you please, an aquarium, a 
Wardian vase, or a globe of gold fish. Then, there are 



^8 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

baby's toys — the dolls and the doll house, the rocking 
horse and the tin soldiers, and the lettered blocks for 
building houses. Surely such a nursery, with a healthy 
and happy baby in it, is well furnished and presents a 
picture which is far from somber. 

But arc not flowering plants considered injurious in 
a room where a baby sleeps ? 

I think this objection is ill-founded, except in the 
case of flowering plants which give off a heavy odor. 
Such plants should be excluded. But a rubber plant 
or an orange tree, a geranium or a thrifty bush of 
marguerites are quite permissible and quite unobjec- 
tionable. 

Docs the fireplace afford sufficient ventilation ordi- 
narily ? 

Xo; the principal dependence for ventilation should 
be from the windows. The open fireplace furnishes 
an admirable exit for foul air, but it does not furnish 
an adequate inlet for pure air. This can be readily 
effected by raising the lower window sash for some six 
inches and inserting in the space intervening a tightly 
fitting pine board. A better plan is that suggested by 
Mr. Cobb. (See illustration.) By this means a sufBcient 
air space is left between the upper and lower sashes 
for the entrance of a due supply of fresh air. Another 
method of ventilation is to replace one of the glass 
lights of the window with a plate of tin or sheet-iron 
having a multitude of minute perforations. Wheel 
ventilators are made, consisting of a movable diaphragm 
and a revolving wheel, which is kept revolving quite 
noiselessly by the currents of air which pass through it. 
This is a very efficient device, since it provides both for 
the exit of foul air and the entrance of pure air from 
outside. 



THE NURSERY. 1!) 

/// case a stationary washstand is in the room, how can 
danger from it be avoided? 

By exercising great cleanliness, and by disinfecting 
the waste pipe every two or three days. The basin 
must be thoroughly cleaned daily and wiped dry after 
each using. The waste pipe must be kept sweet and 
harmless by the frequent use of household ammonia, 
copperas, or Piatt's Chlorides. Another, and perhaps 
still better, disinfectant is that known as Sanitas. A 
most efficient disinfectant, and one so cheap as to be 
within the reach of everyone, is copperas (sulphate of 
iron). The cost is but a few cents a pound, and a hand- 
ful dissolved in a bucketful of water should be poured in 
the basin at least twice a week. Household ammonia is 
used in the strength of two tablespoonfuls to a gallon 
of water. 

Since writing the above I have been told by a sanitary 
engineer that there need be no trouble about " sewer- 
gas," or noxious emanations from trapped pipes, if 
they are in constant, that is to say, daily, use. The 
traps, or " seals " as they are called, must be flushed out 
daily, so that the water in the trap is kept fresh. Unless 
this is done, the trap water becomes foul from stagna- 
tion. It absorbs gases from below until it becomes sat- 
urated, and then becomes a source of infection. The 
water-closet, the fine bath-tub, and the sitz-tub should 
all be put in action at least once a day, and if this is 
done, there need be no fear from sewer-gas. This 
seems perfectly reasonable, and obviates the neces- 
sity of lumbering up the house with disinfectants and 
deodorizers. 

Is it proper to wash the napkins in the nursery and dry 
them before the nursery fi re ? 

By no means. Diapers and all soiled clothing should 



50 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

be removed from the room at once, and not brought 
back until washed and thoroughly dried. 

At What temperature should the nursery be kept ? 

Sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit is the best tempera- 
ture for the day, and 6o° Fahrenheit is quite warm 
enough for night. A reliable thermometer is an essen- 
tial part of the nursery furnishings. 

What kind of bedstead do you consider best for the 
nursery ? 

Iron or brass is far preferable to wood; the former is 
easily kept clean, while the latter can not be. 

What Other furniture is needed in the nursery ? 

There should be large and small chairs, with and 
without rockers, and a low table, at which the children 
can play and, if need be, take their meals. The rockers 
should, by preference, be of the swinging kind, with 
invisible rockers. The table should be round, or, at 
least, without sharp corners. Another essential piece of 
nursery furniture is the nursery chair, which may be of 
wicker or wood, with a hole in the seat, and a place for 
the proper vessel below. A portable screen, tall and 
light, is another serviceable article for modifying lights 
and drafts. 

What sort of pictures would you advise, if any, for 
decorating the walls of the nursery f 

It is quite proper to cultivate in the mind of the child 
the love of the beautiful, and this can be done quite 
well and inexpensively by choosing Out of the souve- 
nirs accompanying the weekly or monthly periodicals 
such as are exceptionally attractive, or which are so 
simple as to readily appeal to the child's growing under- 
standing. Some of them can be framed cheaply, while 



THE NURSERY, 51 

others may be pinned to the wall so as to be easily 
taken down and eleaned. 

What artificial light is best for the nursery f 
Gas is, by all means, the best and safest. By using a 
shade the light can be regulated at pleasure, and no 
other device can satisfactorily take its place. The 
illuminated clock, which is arranged to set over a gas 
jet, made by the Elgin Watch Company, not only makes 
a good shade, but is a decided addition to the nursery. 

Does not burning gas make the air of the room impure 
with t lie products of combust ion ? 

To a certain extent, yes; but not so much so as a 
coal-oil lamp, which is an intolerable nuisance and very 
dangerous. 

But supposing you can ?iot get gas, what is the best 
substitute ? 

A wax candle, or, still better, a night lamp, of wdiich 
there is quite a variety from which to choose. The 
" Pyramid Night Light " consists of a low brass stand, 
having a movable glass chimney, and provided with a 
porcelain cup upon which the candle rests. 

Can you suggest any simple device for keeping water 

A very neat device for the nursery fe ^* 1 ^^J M 
is the Acme Water Cooler. (See Fig. ^ MHlWffl|!^"l > 
7.) It consists of a glass jar, having ^^^^^^Sl 
a capacity of one quart, which 1 ' Q F~LL;-_z r^^ 
inclosed within a double-walled can, H 
so constructed as to be a non-con- H 
ductor of heat. When the can isH 
closed, the temperature inside is kept J 
almost unchanged for an indefinite ^^5 
time. Ice placed .in the jar will Fig. 7. 



52 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

remain unmelted for many hours, and water may be 
kept perfectly cold all night. Owing to its non-con- 
ducting quality, the can is well adapted for retaining 
the heat of broth, gruel, or other food placed in the 
jar when hot. The can is lined with zinc or porcelain, 
the outside is handsomely japanned, and it is fur- 
nished with a folding handle, so the liquids may be 
readily poured out without removing the jar from the 
can (cost $1.25). It can be obtained at pharmacies and 
physicians' supply stores. See Chapter IX, " The 
Nursery in Sickness," page 307. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE NURSEMAID. 



Now, doctor, will you give me some suggestions as to 
the selection of a nursemaid for my baby ? In asking 
this question I am zvcll aware of the fact that nurse- 
maids are not all alike. I wish to know the special, or at 
least the essential, points of a good maid. 

This is a very important question, and I will try to 
help you in your selection. In the first place the maid 
should be neither too young nor too old — not under 
twenty-five nor over forty. If too young, she is apt to 
be careless and frivolous, and need so much watching 
and care-taking that she will be of but little use in 
relieving you of the details of the nursery, which you 
are quite right in seeking to avoid. I quite agree with 
you that a mother should not be, if she can avoid it, the 
nursery slave. But, in order that her mind may be free 
from care, she must have a trustworthy substitute in 



THE NURSEMAID. 53 

the nursery during her absence, who will be competent 
to perform the duties of maid — and mother to a lim- 
ited extent — and so relieve you of unnecessary care 
and anxiety. This is perfectly legitimate and correct. 
You will be all the better able to perform those duties 
and functions which no mother ought to delegate to 
another — that of nursing and directing the daily routine 
of the nursery — if you have a substitute in the way of a 
competent nursemaid. 

If of suitable age her further requirements should be 
as follows: She should enjoy good health; her skin 
should be clean, and she should be full of animal spirit, 
not languid and moping. Two diseases are especially 
to be avoided, since they are liable to infect another 
person by contact or presence. One is consumption of 
the lungs, which is indicated by a cough, pallor, and 
emaciation; and the other is syphilis, indicated usually 
by an eruption on the skin or ulcers on the body. 
Then there are other diseased conditions which unfit a 
girl or woman for an infant's nurse, such as a chronic 
catarrh, old leg-ulcers, offensive perspiration from axil- 
lary glands or feet, foul breath from throat affections 
or decayed teeth. The nursemaid should be personally 
cleanly, otherwise she will keep neither the children 
nor their home clean. She should be tidy in her per- 
sonal habits and dress. 

She should have a good reputation for honesty and 
truthfulness. A dishonest or untruthful servant is 
always a source of misery, to say nothing of the exam- 
ple set before her charge. She must be trustworthy, or 
she will be unsafe and a nuisance. Character is quite 
as valuable here as elsewhere and everywhere. 

The nursemaid need not be beautiful, in the ordinary 
acceptation of the term — indeed, it may be better for 
all concerned if she is not beautiful, for she will be less 



54 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

sought after and more domestic; but she should be 
comely and well-mannered. 

" We do love beauty at first sight; and we do cease to love it, 
if it is ?iot accompanied by amiable qualities." — Lydia Maria 
Child. 

She should at least have a cheerful, pleasant face and 
a sympathetic demeanor. A really homely or sinister 
expression is to be deprecated, and an unhappy and 
melancholy person is intolerable in the nursery. 

Children are quick to discern character. They know 
their friends by instinct, and above all things the nurse- 
maid should love children and love to be with them. 
Patience is a virtue which is prerequisite in a nurse- 
maid. An irritable and irascible temper has no busi- 
ness to associate with children. Patience and kindliness 
shed light and joy over and around the infant's crib and 
make the baby's home a veritable Eden, while a fretful 
and nervous mind will make a hotbed of trouble. 
Never trust your child to a cross or impatient woman, 
however desirable she may be in other ways. A surly 
nature is as contagious as measles, and more to be 
dreaded. 

Gentleness of speech and behavior are also prime 
qualities. The nursemaid should herself be accus- 
tomed to say " please " and " thank you," and not be 
loud and short-spoken before the children. 

Intelligence is another quality of paramount impor- 
tance. The maid should be able to comprehend instruc- 
tions and be able to carry them out without constant 
repetition and supervision. 

A certain amount of experience is a recommendation, 
if it has not produced a self-opinionated and independ- 
ent state of mind that prevents her adapting herself to 
the particular case in hand. Every mother should be 
the guardian and arbiter of her nursery and the habits 



THE NURSEMAID, 55 

of her child. A nurse who has come to think that she 
knows it all and can not be taught anything should 
speedily retire from the field and seek some other 
vocation where she can gain further information in a 
new field of usefulness. A self-opinionated nurse will 
be in constant conflict with the mother, to the detriment 
of the child, as well as the comfort and happiness of 
the household. 

You must not feel for a moment that because you 
are compelled to trust a part of your baby's care to a 
hireling-, you have abdicated your mother's throne; 
for, however competent the nursemaid may be, she is 
not the child's own mother, and she can never, no mat- 
ter how conscientious and devoted, feel toward your 
babe as you feel; she can not altogether take your place 
any more than you would have her take it. And you 
must also have in mind that she is human and therefore 
liable to commit errors, which, if not serious, should be 
dealt with leniently and kindly, and in such a way as 
not to disturb her relations with the infant, who for 
much of the time must look upon her as a sort of sec- 
ond mother. A child can have neither respect nor 
affection for one who is constantly censured or criti- 
cised. 

But, doctor, one can not expect all the virtues for tJiree 
or four dollars a zueek, and I fear I can never find one 
who zv ill come up to your ideal. 

Do not despair nor content yourself with an inferior 
person on first trial. There are plenty of women who 
will be glad to serve you in the capacity under discus- 
sion, and who will approximate the qualities here set 
forth. 

When you have found such an one, treasure her so 
well that she will be content to stay with you. 



56 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Will you tell me how I can accomplisli this ? 

Be gentle with her, as you would have her gentle 
with your child. Treat her by example as well as by 
precept. Never reprimand her in the presence of her 
charge. Let her understand from the beginning that 
you are the mother, but let her feel that she has your 
confidence and trust. 

The nursemaid should be well paid. If capable and 
trustworthy she is invaluable to you, and she should 
feel that her services are appreciated and adequately 
remunerated. She should be allowed time for looking 
after her own personal affairs, which means time and 
opportunity for shopping and to see her friends with- 
out the attendance of the baby. Her outings are as 
important and necessary for her as yours are for you. 

The mother, while controlling the daily routine of the 
nursery and directing everything connected with the 
baby's life and welfare, should sedulously watch every- 
thing and see that her instructions are explicitly carried 
out; and this should be done without showing distrust 
or open surveillance. She must act with the nurse and 
never, if avoidable, against her. 

Do you approve of the nurse telling fairy tales to very 
young children ? 

Yes, if they be real fairy tales and of a pleasant 
nature; but the child should never be told stories that 
frighten it or make it fear to be left alone either by day 
or night. Stories of wild beasts, the drowning of 
naughty children, or ghosts and spooks wandering about 
in the dark, should never be tolerated in the nursery. 
Nothing should ever be told a child that shocks its 
moral sense or its trustfulness in that which is beautiful 
and true. Hobgoblins and evil spirits belong to a 
bygone age. 



THE NURSEMAID. 51 

I am quite interested in what you have said about the 
nursemaid, and I t /link you are quite right. Will you 
point out to me wherein I must caution my maid, pro- 
vided slie is inexperienced, or restrict her, if she has been 
doing wrong previous to her coming to met 

There are certain things which I have noticed in nurse- 
maids who were otherwise very acceptable, but which I 
have had occasion to speak about, and which I am glad 
to mention now, in order that you may be on your 
guard, for often I have found a word of Avarning was 
quite sufficient to stop the mischief, or to avoid it 
altogether. 

First, tlicn, Instruct your nurse that she is never, 
under any circumstances, to give medicine to her charge 
without the sanction of either yourself or the doctor. 
She is not supposed to take such responsibilities. 

Secondly, She is never to punish or even reprimand 
your infant on her own authority and of her own voli- 
tion. You are the one to administer punishment, and 
that duty should never be delegated to another. 

TJiird, She should never use harsh or threatening 
language to her charge, nor frighten it into submission 
by telling some bogy story. 

Fourtli, She should never be permitted to vary the 
child's diet, substituting some strange or unusual article 
such as candy or preserves, without the mother's knowl- 
edge or consent. 

Fifth, She should never take the child to a shop or 
friend's home without the mother's consent, nor should 
she associate with other maids who are unknown to her, 
while the infant is in her care. 

Sixth, She is to see to it that the child observes reg- 
ularity in its daily habits — eating, sleeping, and particu- 
larly in the important matter of a daily evacuation of 
the bowels. 



PART II. 
FOOD AND FEEDING. 



/Vow good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both. 

— Shakespeape. 



CHAPTER I. 

NURSING. 

Would you advise me to nurse my baby, provided I 
have sufficient milk, or may I not just as well bring him 
up on a bottle ? 

If you are well — that is, free from constitutional dis- 
ease — I would most earnestly recommend you to nurse 
your babe, at least during the greater part of its first 
year. Few women realize what a calamity it is, both to 
mother and child, for the latter to be bottle-fed. True 
it is that children sometimes do well upon artificial 
feeding, but these are exceptions to the rule. Breast 
milk is the only natural food for a young infant,' and art 
can only imitate that which nature elaborates in the 
breast of a healthy mother. The whole past history of 
mankind emphasizes the statement that infants fed at 
the breast are stronger, healthier, and far more flourish- 
ing than are those brought up on the bottle. They also 
resist disease much better. If, therefore, you have a 
plentiful supply of good milk, by all means give it to 
your child, and let nothing in the way of pleasures or 
social duties interfere with this one duty which is para- 
mount to all others. 

Aside from the duty of the mother to nurse her off- 
spring, as you put it, is nursing a benefit to the motlier, 
or otherwise ? 

It is of decided benefit to her as well as to her child. 
The woman who nurses will be much less liable to 
pelvic congestions and other womb troubles than one 
5 (fil) 



G2 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

who does not. It is a law of nature and therefore 
beneficial. It will aid much in reducing the womb to 
its normal size, and keep it so. The woman who 
deliberately allows the supply of milk in her breasts 
to dry, and gives her child over to a wet nurse, or 
attempts to bring it up on the bottle, hoping thereby to 
save herself trouble, makes a most grievous mistake. 
The annoj^ance caused by the average wet nurse, the 
troubles incident to bottle feeding, are incalculably 
greater than the trouble of nursing, to say nothing of 
the weakness and delicacy of constitution in her child 
which will be almost certain to follow. 

But is not nursing necessarily a drain upon the 
mother s system ? 

Not if she is reasonably well, free from constitutional 
disease, and her functions of nutrition are properly 
performed. Lactation is a physiological process, and is 
no more debilitating than is the performance of any 
other natural function. I have heard many women say 
that they never feel so well and strong as when nurs- 
ing a babe. 

What diseases in the mother sliould influence her not 
to nurse Iier baby f 

Cancer, scrofula, syphilis, inflammatory rheumatism, 
and any chronic or incurable .skin eruption. Extreme 
delicacy of constitution is also prohibitory. Under 
any of these conditions the child is better to be fed 
artificially. 

Should the mother nurse her babe sitting or lying 
dozvn ? 

Always lying or reclining. This position best brings 
the nipple in juxtaposition with the baby's mouth, and 
is most comfortable for both parties. 



Nl/RSJNG. 63 

May she drink tea and coffee while nursing? 

In moderation she may indulge in either or both, but 
it is a mistake to suppose that either wine, beer, tea, 
or coffee will increase the flow of good milk. While it 
is true, as before stated, all fluids increase the flow of 
milk to some extent, this increase in quantity is often 
at the expense of quality, and the effect on the infant 
is the same as if a bottle-fed baby was fed on watered 
milk. 

How about fruit and vegetables ? 

She may eat freely of those articles which experience 
has taught her do not disturb her own digestion. 

I shall speak of this again later, but let me say now 
that the mother may eat anything without fear of its 
disturbing her babe, provided it does not first disturb 
herself. 

I have known many instances of disturbing colic in a 
babe when mothers insisted that they had eaten noth- 
ing which could possibly have disturbed the baby, but, 
later on, the confession would be made that "just a 
little cheese," or "just a little bit of pie," or just a little 
of some other food had been partaken of, which the 
mother's experience should have taught her she should 
not have indulged in, and the mother's coated tongue 
has confirmed the diagnosis of indigestion transferred 
from mother to babe. 

Hozu soon after birtJi should the infant be put to the 
breast ? 

As soon as the babe is washed and dressed, and the 
mother has had a period of rest. This period of rest 
will depend somewhat upon circumstances. If her 
labor has been prolonged and she is greatly exhausted, 
she should have several hours of sleep before her infant 
is brought to her, but if her labor has been of brief 



64 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

duration and she feels equal to the task, or, I should 
rather say t lie pleasure, of nursing, nothing but good can 
come from giving her the babe as soon as she chooses 
after the first toilets have been made. This is advan- 
tageous for both mother and child. Placing the babe 
early to the breast helps the contraction of the womb, 
and lessens the danger of flooding. It also encourages 
the lacteal secretion and enables the milk to flow more 
easily. 

Does the milk come into the breasts immediately after 
the birth of the babe f 

No. The first secretion is called colostrum, and there 
is scarcely ever enough of it to satisfy a hungry baby, 
even if it were good milk. 

What is this colostrum ? 

It consists mainly of epithelial cells from the mem- 
brane which lines the milk ducts, mucus, and serum. 

But is this healthful f 

It must be, for it is the food which nature herself pro- 
vides. It is of a laxative nature and helps to clear the 
infant's bowels, and puts the stomach in good order for 
better food, which is shortly to follow. Colostrum is 
nature's physic. 

Ho w soon is good milk secreted ? 

Usually the breasts fill up with good, wholesome milk 
on the third day after confinement. Occasionally it 
comes in on the second day, and then again not until 
the fourth. 

How am I to know that the milk lias come into the 
breasts ? 

The mother usually feels what old nurses call the 
"draught" or a certain fullness of the breasts, which is 
a sensation so novel as to be unmistakable. 



VURSING. 65 

But suppose there is really no milk in the breasts, and 
the baby cries and frets pro/// its futile efforts to nurse; 
is there any tiling to worry about ? 

No. Wait a few hours before trying again. In no 

case become impatient or nervous. Everything- will 
come right in time. Do not persist in futile efforts. 
The baby will not starve if several days go by without 
food. If the child is "born hungry," as sometimes 
happens, give it a little warm water and cream — one 
part cream to four parts warm water. But remember 
that in doing this you are apt to satisfy the infant so 
that the next time he is put to the breast he will not 
take it. 

After waiting full three days, and there is but little or 
no milk, what is to be done? 

Such an emergency as this is rarely encountered. 
Even mothers who are unable to nurse their babies for 
any length of time have some milk to start with. In 
such an event, however, a wet nurse is the best substi- 
tute. Xo artificial food will give the baby so good a 
start in life as breast milk. After the first month or 
two, artificial feeding ma3 T be resorted to without hesi- 
tation. Suggestions as to the selection of a wet nurse 
will be given in a subsequent section. If a good wet 
nurse can not be obtained, then some one of the cereal 
foods with cow's milk must be used. Barley water is 
the best among the domestic preparations, and Mellin's 
d among the commercial foods. 

Are there not some impediments to nursing that may 
prevent a new-born babe from getting the milk, even after 
it is secreted / 

Yes, indeed. Sometimes the nipple is so illy devel- 
oped that the act of sucking is rendered impossible. 
The nipple is often so retracted — that is, buried in the 



66 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

bosom — that the tongue can not surround it so as to 
make traction. In such cases an older babe should be 
obtained, who, by experience and greater strength, can 
draw the nipple out ; or the nurse or husband can per- 
form the same office. Sometimes it is necessary to use 
a breast-pump for the purpose. 

What can be done if the mother's nipple is so tendef 
that nursing is painful? 

Prior to the confinement this matter should have 
been looked after. But in cases of neglect, one of the 
best remedies is the following : 

~fy Benzoin Comp. Tr. 1 ss. 
A camel's-hair pencil. 

After each nursing, wash the nipple clean with a little 
warm water, or alcohol and water, and after drying 
apply the benzoin Tr. with the brush, and leave it until 
after the next nursing. The benzoin will not affect the 
baby — indeed, it is a useful remedy in nursing sore 
mouth. 

What is to be dpne if the nipples eraek or suppurate ? 
Apply the benzoin as before, and use a glass or hard 
rubber shield for a few days until the nipple gets well. 

Hozv can a "broken breast" be prevented? 

By keeping the breasts well emptied of milk, and by 
keeping them well protected, both while nursing and 
during intervals. 

But supposing one has so much milk that the clothing 
is constantly ivet zuith the overfloiv ? 

Use a breast-pump and milk out the excess of milk. 
Women who have an excessive flow of milk should 
drink but little fluid and eat mostly solid food. 

Can you explain to vie the nieclianisni of nursing? 



NURSING, 07 

When one considers that a baby an hour old will, if 
Strong and healthy, take hold of the nipple and nurse 
vigorously, it would seem that the act must be very 
simple ; but in reality it is a very complex procedure, 
and would be impossible to one not endowed with 
divine instinct. When the child is born with a harelip 
or a cleft palate, there is an impediment to nursing - , on 
the part of the child, that is insuperable until the 
impediment is repaired. The mechanism of nursing 
explains why this is so. The following' description of 
nursing is quoted from Doctor Jacobi : 

11 AVhen the child seizes the nipple, the lips, fitting 
accurately around it, close the cavity of the mouth in 
front, while behind, this cavity is closed by the soft 
palate, which falls like a curtain upon the root of the 
tongue. The tongue arches so as to touch the roof of 
the mouth, and the cavity is thus completely filled up, 
as the cylinder of a pump is filled by the piston. When 
the child begins to suck, the tongue is drawn back, just 
as the piston would be, and for the same purpose — to 
create a vacuum in the space left between its tip and 
the lips. Into this vacuum the milk is forced by the 
pressure of the atmosphere on the breast. 

"As soon as the space is filled the milk is thrown to 
the back of the mouth by the tongue, which abandons 
for this purpose its office as piston, the soft palate is 
lifted up to a level with the roof of the mouth, thus 
closing the communication with the nose, and the milk 
falls into the throat, there exciting automatic contrac- 
tions of the pharynx that occasion a distinct sound 
of deglutition, and alternates, therefore, with that of 
suction." 

When the tongue is " tied," i. c\, bound down to the 
floor of the mouth, it is easily seen that the act of 
suction can not be accomplished until the defect is 



08 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

remedied. It can not retract sufficiently to act as a 
piston. This impediment is easily removed by snipping 
the frentim linguae sufficiently to release the tongue. 
This should be done with a pair of blunt-pointed scis- 
sors, care being taken not to cut too far back, for fear 
of injuring a branch of the lingual artery. 

Is a baby ever born so weak that it can not nurse ? 

I have occasionally seen such cases. They are usually 
babies born prematurely. Let the milk be drawn from 
the breasts by means of a pump, or, better still, with 
the fingers, and then fed to the infant through a free- 
flowing nursing bottle. If otherwise healthy it will soon 
be strong- enough to seize the nipple and draw with 
sufficient force to satisfy its wants in the natural way. 

If a mother has a partial supply of milk, should she 
wean the baby or half nurse it f 

She should first try to increase the supply by suitable 
diet and by remedies, and if this fails to provide a suf- 
ficient amount to satisfy the infant's needs, she should 
use her breast as far as possible and meet the deficiency 
by artificial foods. What milk the mother has is so 
much good food assured to the child. On the principle 
that "half a loaf is better than no bread," the mother 
should use what she has, for this is so much clear gain 
to the infant. Besides the mother's milk, however 
small in quantity, assists the stomach in digesting other 
foods. 

Can anything be lone to promote the secretion and 
overcome the deficiency ? 

This can only be accomplished by regulating the 
mother's diet. She should drink freely of cow's milk, 
and have an occasional bowl of gruel. Soups, broths, 
and fluids generally tend to promote the lacteal secre- 



NURSING. 69 

tion. Sonic of tKe thinner extracts of malt, as that 
manufactured by the Maltine Company of New York 
(Plain Maltine), I have found useful. 

There are many medicines which are or have been 
Used for this purpose, but there is no dependence to be 
placed on most of them. An infusion of cardamom 
seeds is a remedy that is sanctioned by many physi- 
cians, and by old-time nurses; but it has disappointed 
me in cases in which I have tried it. The only remedy 
which has proved serviceable in my hands is electricity 
— the faradic current. But I hesitate to recommend it 
here, because it is a remedy which no one ought to use 
without the advice of a physician, and applied under 
his immediate supervision. It is, however, a remedy of 
great value and is often effectual in establishing a free 
flow of milk after everything else has failed. Let the 
mother whose milk is scanty regulate her diet as here- 
tofore directed, and take plenty of out-of-door exercise. 
Let her, besides this, do all she can to place herself in a 
perfectly healthy condition; if after this she finds her 
milk deficient either in quality or quantity, she will 
have to employ a wet nurse, or place the baby on a 
bottle with some one of the artificial foods. 

Should a nursing mother drink wine or beer f 

This will depend somewhat on her previous habits. 
No radical change is necessary nor advisable in this 
regard. The mother should do everything to promote 
her own health. The infant is exceedingly sensitive to 
changes in the mother's milk caused by indigestion. All 
excesses should, therefore, be scrupulously avoided. 

vShe should avoid spices, condiments, everything in- 
deed, stimulants included, which heat the blood or tend 
to disturb the stomach. 

Her diet should be plain and simple, but nutritious 



70 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

and strengthening. The nursing mother should treat 
herself generously, she should take extra lunches, and 
give herself plenty of sleep and be sure to take, each 
day, a due amount of out-of-door exercise. 

What tilings in the mother's diet or habits are most 
likely to cause colic and derange the infanfs digestion ? 

Anything which strongly affects the mother's nerves, 
such as sudden shock, fright, fatigue, grief, or passion. 
These are by far more common causes than are articles 
of diet. Menstruation is very liable to cause a tempo- 
rary alteration of the milk, which is felt by the infant. 

Is chocolate or cocoa good for a woman who is nursing? 

Good cocoa is of great value as a milk maker. It not 
only increases the quantity of the mother's or nurse's 
milk, but improves its quality. During the whole 
period of nursing this nourishing beverage will be 
found highly conducive to both mother and child. 

But the ordinary preparations of cocoa arc so sweet 
and fatty that I do not like them. Is there any prepara- 
tion that is free from these objections ? 

There are numerous preparations which are neither 
fatty nor over-SAveet. There is one preparation which 
has long been used in Germany and has recently been 
introduced into this country under the name of Vigor 
Chocolate, or Kraft Chocolate, which I like very much, 
and which I have lately been recommending to my 
patients. In this preparation the fat of the cocoa is 
pre-digested, and hence unnoticeable. You must bear 
in mind that food rich in fat is most desirable for a 
babe, for infants require a great deal of it, and if they fail 
to get it, grow thin and weak. 

How may I know if my baby is well nourished ? 

By frequent weighing. The weight after the first 



NURSING. ;i 

week should constantly Increase. The baby should 
also have a good color, and take a goo<2 sleep after 
each nursing. When awake he should be quiet and 
happy, not fretful and peevish. A well-nourished 
baby is a happy baby. He has but two wants, viz., 
to eat and sleep. 

JJ'hat arc the symptoms which indicate that a nursing 
baby is not well nourished? 

Such a baby is fretful, cries often, and is uncomfort- 
able. Its sleep is fitful and irregular, and is broken up 
into short naps. It suffers from colic, and its stools 
contain undigested particles like specks of curd. It 
tugs at the breast for a long time, and wants it again 
after a short interval. At other times it exhibits a 
disgust for the breast, and after a few moments' nursing 
quits in disgust. 

Is vomiting just after nursing a sign of indigestion? 

Xot if the child is otherwise healthy, and the milk 
comes up sweet and uncurdled. 

Should the child take both breasts at one nursing? 

The infant's stomach at first holds less than two 
ounces, while the mother's breast usually contains 
more than this; but if an excess is swallowed it over- 
flows with the greatest ease. After a few weeks the 
stomach will hold and care for all that the average 
mother can secrete. One breast may be sufficient, but 
otherwise both breasts may be taken. It is not a good 
plan to insist on the infant's exhausting one breast 
before taking the other, because the milk which is 
freshly secreted is the richest. The better plan is to 
partially nurse both breasts, leaving the unused bal- 
ance to be absorbed before the next inflow. 



72 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Why is it that most, if not all, infants sliozv a prefer- 
ence for one breast ? 

It is probably due to some faulty habit of the mother 
by which she unconsciously makes the baby more com- 
fortable on one side than on the other; or it may be 
due to some structural impediment in the ducts of one 
nipple which makes it harder to draw the milk from 
one side. In any event, the mother must insist that 
both breasts be nursed, or trouble will inevitably 
follow. 

Hozv long should the infant be kept at the breast for 
one nursing? 

Usually until it is satisfied, which ought to be in 
about twenty or thirty minutes. The period is vari- 
able, however, but it ought not to be unnecessarily 
prolonged. The child should not be permitted to sleep 
on the breast. This is a bad habit, which, if favored, 
will only add to the mother's weariness and do the 
child no good. It may be said, in a general way, that 
it takes from twenty to thirty-five minutes to empty 
one breast, and after this is accomplished let the 
youngster play or sleep at its own sweet will. 

How often should the child be placed at the breast 
luring the first few days after birth ? 

Not more than four or five times. The mother 
needs rest, and there is but little milk secreted at this 
time. 

Hoiv may I know that the milk lias begun to flow 
abundantly ? 

By the satisfied condition of the baby; by its sleeping 
soundly and for a long time, and by its increase in 
weight. 



NURSING. 73 

How often should an infant be nursed during the first 
m on tli f 

After the third day, every two hours during- the day 
and twice during the night. 

But suppose the baby wants to feed oftener than this, 
and cries ? 

Try it with distilled or boiled water. Do not encour- 
age feeding' oftener by giving it the breast, for by so 
doing- you are "sowing- to the wind." The stomach 
must have rest, and if kept constantly performing the 
function of digestion it will soon show signs of weari- 
ness in indigestion, flatulence, colic, etc. 

/ / 'hat are the proper intervals of feeding for a 
nursing baby after the first month ? 

The same as for infants who are bottle-fed, vmich 
will be explained later. Let me say here, for it will 
bear repetition, do not nurse or feed a baby out of 
regular intervals simply because it cries. It may have 
had too much food already. It may v^ant a drink of 
water. The fact that it is pacified momentarily by 
nursing should not delude you. The warm milk as it 
enters the infant's stomach may give transient relief 
to its suffering, but this is, under the circumstances we 
are considering, only adding fuel to the fire. The 
stomach is perhaps already irritated or is inflamed by 
too frequent nursing, and to continue this practice is 
neither kind nor curative. 

"■They are as sick that surfeit with too much, as they that 
starve with nothing." — Shakespeare. 

Too frequent nursing is responsible for a great many 
of the ills of babyhood, and the young mother should 
understand that giving the fretful baby the breast 
whenever it cries for something, is exceedingly unwise. 



74 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

A lusty infant, if properly instructed in the earlier 
hours of its life, will awaken with the regularity of 
clock-work, and seek its meal every second or third 
hour, according to its custom. 

What should be done if the breasts cake or become 
hard and inflamed? 

This occurs from cold or when the breast is exposed 
to a draught. It may also be brought about by engorge- 
ment of the milk glands, as when the demand of the 
child is unequal to the supply. Relief may be usually 
found by gentle but firm strokes of the breasts from 
their margins toward the nipples, using hot lard and 
the bare hand. Old nurses are usually quite expert in 
thus relieving engorged breasts. A suspensory band- 
age is a very useful accessory to the treatment, which 
may be easily made by folding a soft towel bias and 
passing it beneath the breast and arm, tying it or pin- 
ning it behind the neck. A large silk handkerchief 
may be utilized in the same manner. The proper inter- 
nal remedies for this condition are: Bryonia — if there 
is chill or severe aching of the muscles of the body ; 
belladonna — if there is throbbing of the head as well 
as the breasts ; or phytolacca — in the absence of other 
symptoms than those referable to the breasts. 

Do tlie nipples require any special care if they are not 

sore ? 

To keep the nipple in good condition the mother 
should observe regularity in nursing, and should invari- 
ably and immediately after nursing, dry the nipples 
gently but thoroughly with a soft clean cloth, and for 
the first week or two smear them with a little olive oil. 
This will keep them soft and pliable and prevent crack- 
ing. 



nuxsjng. ;r> 

/// case of broken breast, should t lie baby be permitted 
still to nurse the affected side \ if the pain can be borne? 

By no means. The infant should be restricted to the 
well breast altogether until the abscess is healed, by 
which time, in all probability, the milk in the breast will 
be good, 

If partial feeding becomes necessary, what is the best 
feed wherewith to supplement the mother's deficiency f 

Fresh cow's milk, properly diluted and sterilized, with 
some one of. the baby foods, which will be described 
later, when we come to consider artificial feeding. 

At what age should a babe be weaned? 

Unless in midsummer, the weaning should begin 
when the infant is six or seven months old, but circum- 
stances may make it advisable to hasten or postpone it. 

What circumstances do you refer to ? 

The mother's health may be such as to warrant a 
substitution of other food than that she furnishes sooner 
than the time just mentioned, and again it is never wise 
to make a change in the food of an infant in the midst 
of summer or just as hot weather is approaching, if such 
a thing can be avoided. If, however, the baby ceases 
to grow or becomes ill from some clear defect in the 
mother's milk, immediate weaning becomes imperative, 
regardless of the season of the year. Under other and 
better circumstances it is well when the infant has 
reached the age above mentioned — say six or seven 
months — to substitute the bottle in place of the breast, at 
first, once or twice during the twenty-four hours, and then 
more often, until the bottle is substituted altogether. 

Then you prefer gradual to abrupt weaning? 
Yes, under ordinary circumstances. All abrupt 
changes which apply to infants are attended with 



76 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

danger, and are to be avoided when practicable. I have 
met with instances, however, when the gradual process 
was met with so vigorous and persistent a protest on 
the part of the " young hopeful" that severe measures 
were rendered necessary. In such cases the child should 
be taken away from the mother to a remote part of the 
house and starved into acquiescence. The weaning 
process, if gradual, may be extended until the babe is 
ten or eleven months old, but should rarely extend into 
the second year. By this time, no matter how well and 
strong the mother is, her milk will have so deteriorated 
that it is little better than water. 

If the baby has colic or indigestion zvhile on mixed 
feeding is it best to put it back o?i breast feeding entirely ? 

The best course to follow under such circumstances 
depends upon several things : The amount and character 
of the indigestion, age of the child, and causes which led 
you to resort to mixed feeding. If the baby is young, 
say under six months, and the mother's health good and 
her milk of good quality but insufficient so that the baby 
has occasionally been fed from the bottle to supplement 
it, then the supply of breast milk can usually be increased 
in a few days by measures previously suggested and a 
return to exclusive breast feeding will stop the indiges- 
tion. But if the weaning has been begun for cause, the 
breast milk is as likely to be at fault as the bottle and 
as the chances of correcting it are better with the latter, 
it is best to stop the breast feeding. 

What circumstances would render it expedient to hasten 
weaning and suspend entirely the function of lactation? 

Under ordinary circumstances, and unless there be 
some peculiar state of affairs, pregnancy necessitates an 
immediate suspension of lactation, for no woman can 
do justice both to the one present and the one to come. 



NURSING. 77 

The development of a rapid decline on the part of the 
mother, or if she develop any severe acute disease, such 
as tvphoid fever, pneumonia, or the like. If it should 
become suddenly necessary for her to take a long and 
fatiguing trip, it is a serious question if it would not be 
better to wean her baby than to add its drain upon her 
to that of the journey. The question is less complicated 
if there is already a noticeable falling off in the quantity 
or quality of her milk, or if the infant has already 
reached an age — say that of a year — when complete 
weaning is almost imperative under any circumstances. 

Does the return of t lie menses interfere with nursing? 

Not always, although the occurrence very often does 
render the milk unfit for the child while the period lasts. 
This, however, is not an invariable rule, and the mother 
should do nothing of such moment precipitately. After 
the occurrence of one monthly period there may be no 
reappearance of it for several months, and in such case 
weaning is quite unnecessary. Even if the periods 
should return regularly, if they are painless and not 
too profuse, the child may experience no serious incon- 
venience, in which case they should be disregarded 
when considering the question of weaning. 

If a mother is compelled to wean her child prema- 
turely, is it not best and safest to supply a wet nurse 
rather than to resort to artificial feeding f 

There is no question but that the milk of a good wet 
nurse is greatly to be preferred to bottle feeding. But 
mark the words, "a good wet nurse," whose milk is of the 
right age and quality, whose personal habits are unob- 
jectionable, who will not act the petty tyrant after the 
first twenty-four hours, who will take pains to keep her 
milk pure and wholesome, who will not abandon her 
situation and her charge at the slightest provocation. 

6 



78 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



Hozo should the mother's breast be eared for after 



weaning? 



If the weaning has been gradual there Will be little 
trouble with the breast, the quantity of milk will quickly 
diminish and nothing will be required except to have the 
breasts bathed twice daily with warm camphorated oil. 
In case it becomes necessary, in the interest of the child, 
to cease nursing suddenly, there is danger of inflamma- 
tion from engorgement of the lacteal glands, which 
can usually be arrested by the use of a breast-pump. 
If there is any pain in the breast after nursing has been 
2 112 



\ 

j 

J 2 



3 Feet 

stopped, the breast should be thoroughly anointed 
with camphorated oil or belladonna ointment, and then 
covered over with a thin layer of absorbent cotton. 
Over this abreast bandage should be placed, which may 
consist of strips of muslin wound around the breast 
and opposite shoulder several times, each separate layer 
slightly overlapping the one below. A bandage much 
in use is made of a straight piece of unbleached muslin 
a yard long and half a yard wide, in which holes are 
cut for the neck and arms, as shown in the accompany- 
ing cut. This bandage is both simple and efficacious. 
Part i meets Part 2 and is fastened over the shoulder; 
3 and 4 meet in front and are fastened by safety pins.* 
The bandage should be put on tightly and left on for a 
* Dr. Aimee Raymond Schroeder. 



NURSING. ;■' 

week or more. In case of pain in the heart, increase 
rather than diminish the pressure of the bandage. 

After weaning^ is it proper to give the baby such food 
as crackers \ bread ami butter, etc.? 

Crackers are a very unsafe article of food to give to 
a child and especially to an infant. He does not chew 
it but breaks off a piece and after it is moistened in the 
mouth swallows it whole. The gastric juices have no 
opportunity to digest it and it is passed along as a 
foreign body and often causes serious derangements. 
Bread unless stale or thoroughly toasted is open to like 
objection. Butter is apt to upset the stomach by de- 
veloping butyric acid during its digestion. It is best 
omitted from the diet until the age of eighteen months, 
and should be used sparingly until the second year. 

NURSING SORE MOUTH. 

Wliat causes nursing mothers to have sore mouth ? 

A too restricted diet, lack of exercise and fresh air. 
It is akin to scurvy, and is often tedious and intractable. 

What are its symptoms ? 

It consists of an inflammation of the lining membrane 
of the mouth, which is attended with a profuse flow of 
saliva. The inner lining of the lips and the sides of the 
gums are covered with minute ulcers, and a cheeselike 
matter exudes from them. There is a sense of burning 
and stinging at the seat of these ulcers, and chewing is 
attended with much pain. 

I VJiat are the remedies for such a condition t 

The mother should wean her child, because she can 
not even take a proper amount of nourishment for her- 
self. Her milk will surely deteriorate, and the infant 
will suffer in consequence. She should drink freely of 
acid drinks, such as lemonade, lime juice, etc., and 
should eat freely of vegetables and seasonable fruits, 



80 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

If fresh fruits can not be obtained, let her eat baked 
apples, prunes, and other dried or preserved fruits. 

vShe should wash the mouth frequently with a solu- 
tion of borax — ten grains to the ounce of water — or 
Hydrastis Tr., diluted one-half. Internally she should 
take Mercurius Sol. 3X three times daily. 

Will eating candy and sweetmeats produce this trouble ? 

Yes, the excessive use of sweets is a prolific cause of 
sore mouth. Neither the pregnant woman nor the nurs- 
ing mother should gratify her taste for sweets, except 
in the most moderate degree. Puddings, pie, pastry, 
and sweets of all kinds are apt to produce acidity of the 
stomach and a consequent derangement of the nutrition 
of the mucous membrane. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE WET NURSE. 

/;/ zvhat cases should a wet nurse be employed ? 

In case the mother's milk fails or she becomes ill, and 
the baby is under eight or nine months of age, the ques- 
tion will arise as to the propriety of employing a wet 
nurse or bottle-feeding the infant. If a good wet nurse 
can be secured, this is by far the best and safest plan. If 
the baby foods disagree and the infant falls into a de- 
cline, a wet nurse is an absolute necessity. In case the 
child has reached the age of six or eight months on 
either domestic or commercial baby foods and does not 
thrive, it will be very difficult to get him to take the 
breast in the natural way. In such case many a baby's 
life has been saved by milking out the breast of a 



the Wet nurse. 81 

healthy woman and giving the milk by spoon or bottle. 

After a little time the stomach will retain other food. 

/// case a wet nurse should be required in an emergency, 
what am I to do f 

Consult your physician first of all, if he be available. 
If not, you must exercise your own judgment in mak- 
ing a selection. In the larger towns and cities it is 
almost always possible to make a choice between sev- 
eral applicants. 

The wages of a wet nurse are high, as compared with 
other vocations of women, and there is generally but 
little, if any, difficulty in supplying even a sudden 
demand. 

J J 'hat are the requisites of a desirable wet nurse ? 

She should not be younger than twenty nor older 
than thirty or thirty-three years of age. In making a 
choice see if she is able to produce a free flow of milk 
with her fingers — if not, and your babe is a weakling, 
she will not do. A woman with plenty of milk and 
free ducts should be able to empty her breasts almost 
as readily as you would milk a cow. If the babe is 
strong he may be able to overcome any defects in this 
particular, but otherwise it may be a serious objection. 
If married, she may have had several children without 
prejudice, but if unmarried, it is against her if she has 
had more than one illegitimate child. While strict 
morality is desirable in a woman, it is not a prime 
necessity, but at the same time a woman who has 
repeatedly gone wrong is presumably bad and immoral 
by instinct, and therefore unfit for a nurse. 

Almost all that can be said on this important subject 
is poetically expressed in the following lines from Saint 
Marthe in Paedotrophia: 



82 ALL ABOUT TJIE BABY. 

Choose one of middle age, nor old nor young, 

Nor plump nor slim her make, but firm and strong; 

Upon her cheek let health refulgent glow 

In vivid colors, that good humor show. 

Long be her arms, and broad her ample chest, 

Her neck be finely turned, and full her breast; 

Let the twin hills be white as mountain snow, 

Their swelling veins with circling juices flow; 

Each in a well -projecting nipple end, 

And milk in copious streams from these descend. 

Remember, too, the whitest milk you meet, 

Of grateful flavor, pleasing taste, and sweet, 

Is always best. 

Are applicants for such a position to be trusted as to 
their rcpreseiitations ? 

There is every incentive to prevarication — high 
wages, a good home, and comforts which only wealth 
can enjoy, all these seem to tempt the woman to con- 
ceal defects, etc. Oftentimes other selfish motives 
incite the woman to conceal facts which, if known, 
would debar her from assuming such responsibilities as 
are inseparable from such a position. 

How, then, am I to proceed in the absence of my family 
physician ? 

Ascertain as fully as possible her family history. 
If her baby is living, have her bring it to you for 
inspection. See if it is plump and apparently healthy. 
Is it quiet and happy ? If the applicant is a married 
woman, and has lost one or more children, what did 
they die of ? (What caused their death ?) If these 
questions are answered satisfactorily, inquire further 
into the woman's present condition. Is her husband 
still living? Will he trouble her or give her annoy- 
ance in her new position ? Is .she free and happy 
in her own mind ? Has she menstruated since her 



THE WET NURSE. 83 

baby's birth? Does she suffer pain or flow excess- 
ively at such times? Is she so situated with ref- 
erence to her husband and friends that she can 
remain with you for a period as long as necessary? 
What disposition can she make of her own babe it 
living? WiU she be obedient to your will as mother of 
her charge and mistress of your household? Is she 
neat and tidy in her person and apparel ? Is she 
pleasant and affable in her speech, or is she glum 
and sullen ? If the latter, dismiss her at once. She 
is not the one you want. 

But if the woman is unmarried, how can [ascertain 
whether she will prove worthy or not ? 

A.S I have already hinted, a wise and experienced 
physician is alone competent to pass judgment after 
making- -an exhaustive examination ; but if thrown 
upon your own resources, I will endeavor to give 
you some points which will at least help you in making 
a choice of nurses if several such women apply for 
the situation. Do not forget, for a moment, that 
upon your careful judgment may depend the life 
or happiness of your babe and your household. You 
must ascertain if the applicant before you is capable 
of fulfilling the requirements of a nurse, and you 
can only determine this by waiving ethics and getting 
down to bare facts. Find out, then, if the age of 
her milk is near that of the age of your baby. If 
there is any great difference, say a difference of several 
months, you had better make another choice. Ask 
her what diseases she has had, and about her present 
physical condition. Where is her child? Has she 
any skin disease, or other evidence of blood disorder? 
You cannot be too careful in these matters. Has she 
good teeth ? Are her eyes bright and muscles firm, 



84 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

or is she lazy and stupid in appearance ? As a rule, 
blonde women are better nurses than brunettes — they 
are more placid and equable in temper, less irritable 
and nervous ; therefore, better foster mothers. If her 
babe is dead, see the physician who attended it, and 
find out the particulars of its death. Examine her 
breasts, and ascertain, first, if there is a free flow of 
milk. Are the nipples well formed — neither too large 
nor too small ? As a final test, have her bathe her 
nipples with water, and after it is well dried, place 
the new charge on her breast and watch its behavior. 
As soon as it is through nursing, examine its mouth 
in order to ascertain if there is milk in it, for unless 
there is evidence of milk, the nurse may be deceiv- 
ing you. If these preliminaries are satisfactory, you 
must then arrange the details of her engagement. 
She should be given to understand, from the begin- 
ning, that she is employed for a specific purpose ; 
that she must observe certain requirements that are 
essential to her health in the matters of diet, exercise, 
etc., and that she must not, under any .circumstances, 
give the baby either medicine or food — other than 
that derived from her own breasts — without your 
knowledge and consent. She should understand fully 
that you still have full charge of the infant's daily life, 
and that you have in no sense and in no degree abdi- 
cated your throne as mistress of the domestic realm. 

Bear in mind that a woman who may be excellently 
qualified to nourish the child is not necessarily intelli- 
gent or properly educated in regard to the care of it in 
other particulars, and these maternal duties — all but 
the nursing — should be reserved for the mother. She 
should still have constant supervision of the nursery 
and its belongings in order that the rules of health 
mav be observed, and in case a change of nurse 



THE WET NURSE. 85 

becomes necessary there be no unnecessary friction 
accompanying the change. 

Is there anything special regarding the nurse's diet 
which I should know about ? 

"Whatever her antecedents, if she be strong and well, 
it is best to keep fairly close to the diet she has been 
having and to which she is accustomed. In all proba- 
bility this has been plain and simple. The greatest 
danger to her health and that of her new charge will 
come from surfeit and consequent derangement of 
digestion. It is very essential, every way essential, 
that she should maintain her appetite and not fritter 
it away on such new foods as she is unaccustomed to. 
To one habituated to a lowly fare, rich soups, spiced 
meats, and pastry, if indulged in to any considerable' 
extent, will soon produce satiety, biliousness, and a 
deterioration, if not loss, of milk. What the nursing- 
woman needs in the way of diet is a sufficient quantity 
— and she must eat practically for two individuals — 
of good plain food. Her menu should include both 
vegetables and meat — beef and mutton rather than 
pork. Poultry and fish are admissible. She may 
have tea and coffee in moderation. Oatmeal, farina, 
cracked wheat, hominy, shredded wheat, and all of the 
new " breakfast foods " are admirably adapted to her 
dietary, since they all contain the phosphates so neces- 
sary to the upbuilding of the infant's bony structure. 
Wliatever the habit of the real mother and of her imme- 
diate household, the use of alcoholic stimulants should 
be barred the nursing woman. She should be able to 
dispense plenty of nourishment without the aid of tonics 
and stimulants, or give way to another who can do so. 

It may be said that while the average wet nurse is 
very human and oftentimes very frail, she should cer- 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

tainly, while attempting to do her duty, be treated with 
discreet consideration and made as comfortable and 
happy as circumstances will allow, for the quality of 
her milk will largely depend upon the serenity of her 
mind and upon the helpful and hopeful character of 
her surroundings. 

One error I have occasionally noticed, and it may be 
mentioned here. With people of moderate means it may 
seem out of all character to pay a woman high wages 
for simply wet-nursing a baby, and she may be expected 
to put in her leisure time in assisting in the household 
duties. In some cases this may answer, but a complete 
understanding should be had to this effect from the 
outset. Persons, in affluent circumstances should not 
expect menial duties from a wet nurse. . She should 
look after herself and her room and take at least partial 
charge of the nursery. She should, however, have 
leisure for walking and exercising and plenty of time 
which she can call her own, for rest and for recrea- 
tion. In no other way can she be contented in mind, 
healthful in body, and fulfill the high duties for which 
she is engaged. 

You just spoke of "serenity of mind" as affecting the 
character of the nurse's milk. If she should prove to 

be irritable in temper and easily angered, is this a 
serious objection to her, provided other things are satis- 
factory t 

Yes, decidedly so. I have cited instances elsewhere 
in which a mother's milk has been rendered absolutely 
poisonous to her babe by sudden anger, or by some 
nervous shock. After a nursing woman has been angry, 
or her mind and temper has been seriously and sud- 
denly disturbed, she should not nurse an infant until 
after the milk in her breast has been milked out and 



THE WET NURSE. K» 

thrown away, and she should not put the infant to her 
breast until her mind has regained its composure and 
new milk is secreted. 

The following incident well illustrates how an irri- 
table temper in the mother may affect the health of 
her nursing baby: 

At the Lincoln Park Sanitarium, where scores of sick 
babies are brought daily during the summer for fresh 
air and medical treatment, a woman came last summer 
with a puny nursing" child some six months old. It had 
diarrhoea; it was thin, almost pinched, in appearance. 
It was excessively nervous, and started at every noise. 
It slept but little, and then in half naps. The mother 
was a dark-haired, black-eyed woman, under thirty 
years of age, apparently in good health, and with plenty 
of milk. She was very anxious about this, her only 
child, and could not understand why it did not thrive. 
She came to the sanitarium daily for several weeks, 
and the baby would be better and then worse until 
the doctors were -puzzled to know what prevented the 
child's recovery. Finally, one day, the superintendent 
asked her about her domestic relations. " Do you 
and your husband live happily together ? " he asked. 
" Oh, yes; I guess so," she said. 

V Well," said Mr. Faye, " do you often get angry 
at your husband ? " " Oh, some," was her reply. " We 
quarrel almost every day about something, and, of 
course, I get mad." 

"Well," said Mr. Faye, "don't you know that that is 
just what is making your baby sick ? Anger in a 
mother is certain to change her milk, and every time 
you get irad, it so alters your milk that it turns it 
into poison. You must stop getting angry at your 
husband, and live in peace with him and the rest 
of the world, or you will kill your baby." 



88 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

The woman disappeared, and never came back to 
the sanitarium; but some six months afterward a 
woman with a big, fat baby called at his office, and 
said to Mr. Faye: "Do you remember me? I want 
to show you my baby. ■ Isn't he fine ? You told me it 
was my getting angry that ailed him, and I haven't got 
mad since." Sure enough, this was the same black- 
haired,, black-eyed woman whose baby baffled the skill 
of the medical staff at the sanitarium the summer 
before, now strong, well-nourished, and healthy, because 
its mother ceased getting mad. 



CHAPTER III. 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 



After human milk, wliat is the best food for an 
infant ? 

Cow's milk, so modified as to make it resemble as 
nearly as possible human milk. 

Hozu does cow's milk differ front human milk? 

It contains nearly three times as much curd (casein) 
or cheesy matter, and only about one-half as much 
sugar. Besides this, the curd, which is essentially the 
nutritious part of the milk, is coarser and denser than 
that of human milk, and consequently is not so easily 
digested. 

Of iv hat is human milk composed? 

Eighty-seven parts water and thirteen parts solids, 
the latter being composed, for the most part, of salts, 
fats, and proteids. 

What are the "salts" you speak of? 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 89 

Mostly the salts of potash, soda, and lime, all of 
which are necessary for the formation of hone during 
the child's development. 

What is the fat in milk? 

The cream. 

What arc the proteids t 

The curd of the milk, which is very similar to the 
albumen (or white) of an egg - . It is the muscle-making- 
element of milk. 

What other essential element in milk is classed with 
the solids ? 

A carbohydrate or heat-producing element, viz., 
sugar. This sugar differs from cane sugar in certain 
important particulars which it would be difficult to 
make you understand, but which will be referred to 
later, when we come to speak of malt sugar, or maltose, 
which is found in certain grains used in the manufac- 
ture of baby foods. 

If the curd in cow's milk is so much in excess of that 
i?i human milk, can not this be corrected by diluting the 
milk with water ? 

By adding water to cow's milk you may reduce the 
casein (or curd) to the proper proportion, but in doing 
so you also reduce the relative proportion of salts, fats, 
and sugar below that in human milk, and below what 
is required for full nutrition. In other words, there is 
in diluted cow's milk too little cream and too little 
sugar, both of which elements are essential to the well- 
being of the infant. 

What is top milk ? 

It is the upper third or half of the milk which is 
taken off after it has stood for six or eight hours. 



90 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

How does tins differ from ordinary fresh milk? 

It contains about three times as much cream, and 
less curd and other solids, which have settled to the 
bottom portion while the cream has been rising. 

How should the top milk be treated? 
If diluted with two parts water and sugar be. added, 
it is nearly like mother's milk in its relative proportions. 

How much sugar should be added to the diluted top 
milk ? 

One heaping teaspoonful of milk sugar to every four 
ounces of food ; or if cane sugar is used, one teaspoon- 
ful to every six ounces. 

Hozu is top milk obtained? 

It is to be carefully skimmed off with a spoon or 
shallow cup, or, still better, taken off with a glass or 
rubber siphon. The milk should stand for at least six 
hours before being disturbed. 

Is this top milk treated in this way like human milk? 

The proportion of solids and fluids are about the 
same, but the elements are different. The albuminous 
element — the curd — which is the essential nutritive 
part, is still very different in its structure and action 
from the same element in human milk. When the 
curd of human milk meets the acid of the gastric juice, 
which it does as soon as it enters the stomach, it coagu- 
lates in minute particles, or flocculi, which the pepsin 
of the stomach can act upon with great readiness; the 
curd of cow's milk being much coarser and firmer, 
coagulates under these circumstances into large and 
hard clots or masses, which are quite indigestible if 
the child's stomach is sour from an under-amount of 
acid being present. 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 91 

How can this be prevented? 

Only by adding- some bland and unirritating sub- 
stance to the milk before it is swallowed, which will 
mingle with the particles of curd and separate them — 
hold them apart — until the gastric juice can act upon 
each separate particle and digest it. 

What is the best thing few this purpose ? 

There are various articles which may be used. Prob- 
ably the best is barley water, which we shall speak of 
again presently. Gum arabic, gelatin, and other inno- 
cent materials are used successfully and have their 
stanch advocates. 

Do you approve of boiling milk for babies, especially in 
summer time ? 

If you understand that the curd of milk and the 
albumen of egg are identical in character, I scarcely 
need answer the question. You would not think of 
giving an infant the "white" of a hard-boiled egg. 
Giving boiled (thoroughly boiled) milk to a young 
babe would be equally reprehensible. 

What is Pasteurized milk? 

It is milk heated to a temperature of 170° F. or 
thereabouts, which, experience has proven, is sufficient 
to kill the germs which are in it. 

What harm do these germs do? 

Some of them cause the milk to turn sour, while 
oihers may be the cause of sickness in children. 

Where do these germs come from ? 

The air is full of them. The udder of the cow swarms 
with them, as do also the hands of the milker. Everv 
step which the milk takes from the cow pasture to the 



O'Z ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

nursery is beset with germs, some' of them very poison- 
ous in their nature. 

Should milk, then, always be Pasteurised when used 
fo r in fa n t feeding ? 

In the country where fresh milk can be obtained 
there is little danger from germ-contamination; but in 
cities, where the milk is not so fresh, it is always desir- 
able. In summer, when germination is particularly 
active, Pasteurization should never be omitted. 

Does not this partial boiling of milk interfere with its 
digestibility ? 

No doubt to a very slight extent it does, but the 
advantage of rendering the milk pure and free from 
disease-producing germs greatly outweighs the other 
consideration. 

What is sterilized milk? 

It is milk brought to the boiling point, or 2i2°F. 
In common parlance it is scalded milk. 

What are the relative advantages of sterilized and 
Pasteurized milk ? 

The latter is but little, if at all, altered in taste, while 
it is presumably free from all noxious principles. It is 
quite as easily digested as plain milk, but it will only 
keep in hot weather for a day or two. Sterilized milk 
has the taste of boiled milk, and is not so easily 
digested, especially by young babes, but it will keep 
fresh, if put on ice, for two or three days in midsummer. 

Is there any simple way of treating milk that will 
answer the purpose intended without resorting to special 
apparatus ? 

In a crude way it may be said that Pasteurized milk 
is milk heated until it is thoroughly heated through, 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 03 

while sterilized milk is heated until heat bubbles come 
to the surface. The moment the milk reaches or almost 
touches the boiling point it should be removed from 
the fire. 

117/ tit is the simplest method of sterilizing milk? 

A very simple method of accomplishing this object 
is as follows : 

The vessel containing the milk, which may be the 
bottle from which it is to be used, or any other suitable 
vessel, is placed inside of a larger vessel of metal, which 
contains the water. If a bottle, it is plugged with 
absorbent cotton, if this is at hand, or in its absence 
other clean cotton will answer. A small fruit jar, 
loosely covered, may be used instead of a bottle. The 
requirements are simply that the interior vessel shall 
be raised about half an inch above the bottom of the 
other, and that the water shall reach nearly or quite as 
high as the milk. The apparatus is then heated on a 
range or stove until the water reaches a temperature 
of 155 F., when it is removed from the heat and kept 
tightly covered for half an hour. The milk bottles are 
then taken out and kept in a cool place. The milk 
may be used any time within twenty-four hours. A 
temperature of 150 maintained for half an hour is 
sufficient to destroy any germs likely to be present in 
the milk, and it is found in practice that raising the 
temperature to 155 and then allowing it to stand in 
the heated water for half an hour insures the proper 
temperature for the required time. The temperature 
should not be raised above 155 , otherwise the taste and 
quality of the milk will be impaired. 

The simplest plan is to take a tin pail and invert a 
perforated tin pie-plate in the bottom, or have made 
for it a removable false bottom perforated with holes 



94 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

and having legs half an inch high, to allow circulation 
of the water. The milk bottle is set on this false bot- 
tom, and sufficient water is put into the pail to reach 
the level of the surface of the milk in the bottle. A 
hole may be punched in the cover of the pail, a cork 
inserted, and a clinical thermometer put through the 
cork, so that the bulb dips into the water. The tem- 
perature can thus be watched without removing the 
cover. If preferred, an ordinary dairy thermometer 
may be used and the temperature tested from time to 
time by removing the lid. This is very easily arranged, 
and is just as satisfactory as the patented apparatus 
sold for the same purpose. 

This seems to me to be rather a complicated process. 

Is there not some sort of apparatus made that will sim- 
plify it? 

Various forms of sterilizers have been invented, but 
that of Arnold's is the simplest and best. This 
apparatus is provided with eight bottles, each holding 
about seven ounces, and each bottle is marked on the 
glass with a graduated scale, by means of which the 
exact amount of nourishment poured into them can be 
accurately measured. 

As soon as the milk and cream come in the morning 
enough of the baby food should be prepared as will 
suffice for the day. 

The bottles, previously cleaned with a bristle brush 
and dried, should each be filled with as much milk as is 
required for each feeding, having previously added 
either soda or lime water, as directed on page 97. 
The bottles must have their mouths carefully dried and 
stopped with plugs of ordinary raw cotton. They are 
then placed in the rack in the sterilizing chamber and 
the lid and hood are applied. The pan of the sterilizer 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 



On 



is now filled two-thirds full with water, and the whole 
is plaeed on the hot stove for an hour. About twenty 
minutes of this time will be occupied in heating- the 
milk lip to the 
proper temper- 
ature, and the 
remainder in 
keeping it at 
that point and 
thus sterilizing- 
it. Raw cotton 
is used as a plug 
because experi- 
ence shows that 
the most minute 
germs can not 
pass through it. 
It is necessary, 
however, that it 
shall not come 
into contact 
with the milk. 
When it is de- 
sired to carry 
the bottles 
about to any ex- 
tent after steril- 
izing, it is better 
to use a rubber 
cork instead of 
cotton. In this 
case the bottles, 
with the corks very loosely in place, are put in the 
sterilizer for about twenty minutes until the liquid and 
the air contained is thoroughly heated. The corks are 




Fig. 



96 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

then pushed firmly into place and the sterilizing is 
continued. The bottles thus corked may lie afterward 
in any position. Sterilized milk prepared in this way 
should keep perfectly sweet without being placed on 
ice. As an additional safeguard, however, it is better 
to keep the bottles in a cool place, although this is not 
needed if the process has been properly carried out. 

Do not forget that the cotton plug must never be 
removed, even for a moment, from the time it is first 
put in place until the time for feeding the baby comes. 

Food prepared as described above will keep per- 
fectly well for twenty-four hours at least, but in the 
hottest weather it is an additional safeguard to reheat 
in the evening the bottles which are to be used during 
the night and early morning. 

But if one is traveling it seems impracticable to con- 
tinue the ?ise of sterilized milk. Is it not so ? 

The difficulty is easily overcome by sterilizing a 
larger quantity and sterilizing the food repeatedly. 
For instance, let the bottles be subjected to sterilization 
upon one day, again upon the second, and again upon 
the third. Instead of carrying so many small bottles, 
let the thoroughly sterilized milk be poured into larger 
bottles, which themselves have been previously baked 
in the oven or otherwise sterilized, and after being well 
corked with a new hard rubber cork such milk ought to 
keep fresh for a week or more. 

When is lime zvater to be used with milk, and why ? 

The use of some alkali neutralizes excessive acidity 
of the milk, both before and after it is taken into the 
stomach. Sometimes the milk is approaching the turn- 
ing point when received and the alkali is necessary to 
arrest the change. Again, if the baby's stomach is at 
all sour the milk is apt to be quickly coagulated into an 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 97 

insoluble bolus before it can be acted upon by the 
pepsin in the stomach, whereas if the acid in the 
stomach is partially neutralized this change is retarded 
and dig-estion goes on more slowly and naturally. 

How is lime water procured ? 

People who do not mind expense procure it of the 
druggist, but if lime water is being constantly employed 
a considerable saving can be effected by preparing it 
at home. Take a piece of unslacked lime as big as a 
small lemon and drop it into two quarts of filtered 
water contained in a jar, stir thoroughly and allow to 
settle. In using, dip off from the top and replace what 
is taken with fresh water. As often as fresh water is 
added the jar should be stirred or agitated. 

Is there any other alkali used for this purpose besides 
lime ? 

I think bicarbonate of soda (common baking soda) 
is far preferable. Lime water as ordinarily prepared 
contains less than half a grain to the fluid ounce of 
water, so that unless at least a third part of the milk 
mixture is lime water it is of little use. Bicarbonate 
of soda is ten times as efficient as a neutralizer and is 
less irritating to the stomach. 

Hozu is this used f 

Two to four grains of the bicarbonate of soda are to 
be added to each bottle of food. 

When should this be added to the milk, before or after 
sterilizing ? 

If lime water is used, its effects will be destroyed by 
heating the milk, as the lime will be precipitated, but 
if soda is used it can be added before or after, it matters 
not which. 



08 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

What is peptonized milk ? 

Milk that has been partly digested by the addition of 
some form or preparation of pepsin before it is taken 
into the stomach. 

What part of the milk lias been digested? 
The curd. 

Does peptonizing the milk alter its taste ? 

If only partially peptonized the taste is not percepti- 
bly altered, but if fully peptonized the milk has a bitter 
taste. 

Hozv is milk peptonized ? 

By the addition of some peptonizing powder, of which 
Fairchilds Bros. & Foster's is probably the best. A 
measure comes with each package of the powder and 
full directions how to use it. After a proper quantity 
of the peptonizing powder has been added to the milk 
it is kept at a temperature of 120 F. (or about as 
warm as the finger will bear easily) for from ten to 
twenty minutes, if it is to be parti) 7 peptonized, or for 
two hours if it is to be completely peptonized. 

Do you approve of giving a child peptonized milk ? 

It is perhaps a good expedient in some cases of acute 
indigestion, when the stomach is very weak and there 
is no pepsin secreted naturally, but to use peptonized 
milk for a steady diet, and with a healthy infant, would 
be like putting your arm into a plaster cast and expect- 
ing it to gain in strength while the cast is on. Every 
organ should be encouraged to do its duty and perform 
its allotted function. Food which is predigested may 
be assimilated for a time, but the stomach meanwhile 
will, for lack of use, become more and more weak and 
helpless. 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 99 

/// preparing partly peptonized milk, should all the 
bottles for the days use bo peptonized at once or for eaeli 
feeding separately f 

It is always best to have a small supply ahead, but 
if a whole day's supply is prepared at onee the milk 
should be scalded after peptonizing-, or it will become 
bitter after a little. In any case the unused portion, or 
that set aside for future use, should be put on ice and 
never left standing' uncovered in the pantry or kitchen. 

In obtaining milk for the baby's use, is it best to get 
the milk from one ooze f 

It is far better to g'et the mixed milk from a herd of 
cows, such as is supplied from a dairy and distributed 
by an honest dairyman. No one cow, however carefully 
bred, but will have her occasional illnesses, during which 
her milk will be poor or colicky. Stall-fed cows always 
give milk which is more or less acid, and therefore 
liable to cause disturbance. All milk dealers are ready 
and glad to provide the baby, for a little extra consid- 
eration, with the freshest and best milk which comes 
from the dairy. Your milkman should be provided 
with a special milk-can for your special use, and suf- 
ficiently rewarded to stimulate him to exercise care in 
his attentions to your special needs. 

But if one can get fresh milk from a young Jersey 
coze or from an Aldcrney, is this not better than ordinary 
dairy milk ? 

It is far otherwise. The milk from highly bred cows 
like those you mention is very rich in cream, but is 
usually deficient in casein, which is the essential ele- 
ment for a baby's growth. Besides this, it is a notorious 
fact that the more highly bred an animal is the more 
delicate it is and the more subject to constitutional 



100 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

diseases. The coarser bred cows give better milk and 
are more hardy and less liable to all sorts of illnesses. 
The milk from a sick cow is as deleterious as the breast 
milk from a sick mother or wet nurse. 

When speaking of diluting the milk, do yon mean that 
the proportions mentioned shall be observed all during 
babyhood ? 

The proportions given are for the first three or four 
months. After this time the food should be stronger if 
the child will bear it. Use more milk and cream and 
less water. 

Is there any simple ivay in which I can tell if the milk 
I receive for baby's use is up to standard? 

You can easily test the milk in the following manner. 
The specific gravity of dairy milk is 1.029. Its reaction 
is slightly acid. To determine the former, procure a 
" lactometer" which any druggist will get for you. To 
obtain the specific gravity, fill a beaker to such a point 
that it will float the instrument, and read the degree of 
density from the scale at a level with the surface of the 
milk. If it is above or below 1.029 it is either watered 
or reinforced by the addition of some foreign element. 

To get the chemical reaction, use a piece of litmus 
paper, which your druggist will also furnish you with. 
If the reaction is normal the blue paper will not turn 
red. 

To ascertain the proportion of cream in a specimen 
of milk, get a long, thin, white bottle and paste a nar- 
row strip of paper on the outside of it. Now mark off 
this slip of paper into sixteen equal parts. Set the 
bottle aside for from twelve to twenty-four hours. 
During this time the cream will have risen to the top 
and will have a yellowish and thick look, very differ- 
ent from the rest of the milk in the bottle. This 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 101 

layer of cream on top should be one-sixteenth part of 
the whole, or should occupy the upper sixteenth section 
of the strip of paper. The paper may be marked off 
into sections before being pasted on the bottle and the 
lower edge should come just to the bottom of the bottle, 
while the milk should come to the extreme top of the 
paper. If there is less than one part in sixteen of 
cream, the milk is either very poor or it has been 
skimmed. 

From wJiat you have said I infer that arrowroot, 
tapioca, and such farinaceous foods are not safe to give a 
young infant? 

I am very glad to hear you make that remark, for it 
shows that you have read intelligently what I have 
already said. 

All farinaceous food is treacherous and hence unsafe. 
Sometimes a young babe, if particularly strong in its 
digestive powers, will, for a time, take starchy foods, if 
thoroughly cooked, and apparently thrive -on them, but 
soon a surfeit comes, something reduces the tone of the 
stomach, and then follows colic, constipation, diarrhoea, 
or, still worse, convulsions, and perhaps death. It is a 
great deal better to avoid trouble by heeding advice 
than it is to cure it. 

Hoiv about condensed milk ? What is it f 

It is milk from which a greater part of the water has 
been evaporated. 

Is there any difference between the canned condensed 
milk and the fresh condensed milk ? 

That which is canned contains a large amount of 
cane sugar, which is used in preserving it. In fact it is 
" preserved " milk. 



102 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

How should it be diluted to make it like fresh cow's 
milk and adapted to an infant one or two months old? 

The Anglo-Swiss condensed milk should be diluted 
sixteen or eighteen times with boiled or distilled water. 
The American condensed milk should be diluted from 
twelve to fourteen or fifteen parts. 

How can I tell if I dilute it sufficiently ? 

Only by trial. If the baby thrives and the milk does 
not constipate, you may feel that all is well. If the 
baby has colic and is constipated, dilute the milk still 
more, either with water or one of the cereal foods, 
such as barley water or Mellin's Food. 

Is condensed milk as good for a baby as fresh coze's 
milk ? 

Not by any means. It contains too much sugar, and 
after dilution it contains too little cream. It should 
never be used alone as a permanent food unless fresh 
cream is added to it, and then it is by no means an 
ideal food. 

Hozv much cream should be added to an ordinary bottle 
of diluted condensed milk ? 

Two spoonfuls of cream to one of condensed milk 
before dilution. 

But, Doctor, I have seen some splendid-looking babies 
who were brought up on condensed milk ? 

So have I myself ; but while such babies are fat, and 
big, and bright, they are neither strong nor hardy. 
They do not walk early, nor do they get good teeth 
early. They are generally fat and flabby, and often 
bow-legged and rickety. 

But if traveling, I suppose it would be proper to use 
condensed milk ? 



ARTIFICIAL FEEDING. 103 

Oh, certainly. As a temporary expedient condensed 
milk is a great blessing, but I do not regard it as 

an ideal or typical food upon which you can perma- 
nently rely. 

Hoiv should artificial foods be given ? 

Always by means of a nursing bottle. The best 
bottle is a simple flat, white, glass bottle with a dark or 
natural colored nipple which will slip over the neck of 
the bottle. The patent nursing-bottles .with a long 
tube extending into the bottle are too complicated and 
too difficult to keep clean. The simpler the outfit the 
better. Two bottles should be provided, with nipples 
to match, so that one set may be placed in a cleansing 
solution while the other is in use. 

Hozo should the bottles and nipples be cared for f • 
After nursing, the bottle and nipple should be placed 
in scalding water. After this they should be rinsed 
with cold water and placed in a receptacle filled with 
water and soda, or borax, in the proportion of one tea- 
spoonful of either to the bottle of water. At least 
twice a day the bottles should be thoroughly washed 
out with a bottle brush, with hot soap-suds, and rinsed 
with boiling water. 

/// cleansing the bottle nipples is there any special 
method to be observed ? 

They should be boiled the same as the nursing bot- 
tles and all of the feeding utensils, in soda and water. 
The nipples should be turned inside out, scalded and 
cleaned with a tiny brush dedicated to the sole purpose, 
and afterward exposed to the warm and deodorizing 
sunshine for awhile. 

Will a child have colic from sleeping with the rubber 
nipple in its mouth ? 



104 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Such a practice is very objectionable in many ways. 
It will cause colic by sucking wind into the stomach, 
and besides, the child's sleep will not be restful so long 
as it has to keep the nipple from slipping out of its 
mouth. 

Why is it necessary to observe such strict rules regard- 
ing the preparation of milk which is to be used for the 
baby ? It surely did not use to be so. 

It is only recently that science has demonstrated that 
in milk and cream which have begun to turn sour there 
is generated one of the most powerful poisons known 
to man. " There is no longer any mystery about the 
cases of ice-cream, cream-cake, and cheese poisoning 
which have from time to time terrorized communities; 
it was this deadly agent, developed in simple milk and 
its products, which wrought such mischief." In view 
of this fact it is not impossible that infant after infant, 
in countless numbers, may have been destroyed by this 
subtle poison, generated in their nursing bottles, because 
mothers and nurses were neglectful to keep them from 
becoming sour. 

In all large cities the milk as ordinarily delivered is 
from twenty-four to thirty-six hours old, when chemi- 
cal changes have already begun, and which, in summer 
time, maybe well advanced before the milk reaches the 
nursery. Unless such milk is properly cared for at 
once it may readily cause sickness if not death. 



DOMESTIC BABY FOOVS. 105 

CHAPTER IV. 

DOMES I1C BABY FOODS. 

You s^cak of barley water as a good medium with 
which to dilute cow*s milk. Will you please tell me how 
this barley water is to be prepared, and the proportions 
to be used? 

I will give you a formula which has served me 
admirably in my private practice, and which, I think, 
you will find well adapted to your wants. 

Get from the grocer some hulled or " pearled " 
barley, and put two tablespoonfuls into four teacupfuls 
of water ; boil this for at least an hour, or more if 
necessary, until it has boiled down to two teacupfuls. 
Strain carefully through a muslin or cotton cloth, so as 
to free it from the barley beard and any other irritating 
matter ; then add a pinch of salt, and a small teaspoon- 
ful of granulated sugar. The barley water thus pre- 
pared should be added to good, fresh milk in the 
following proportions : For an infant under three 
months, use one-third milk, two-thirds barley water. 
For an infant three to six months, use one-half milk, 
one-half barley water. For an infant six to twelve 
months, use two-thirds milk, one-third barley water. 

Oatmeal may be prepared in the same way as barley 
water, but it should be boiled at least two hours, and it 
should be doubly strained, as the hull is harder and 
sharper than that of barley, and the particles of it 
more liable to pass through the first straining. 

Are there not still other domestic foods equally good, 
or better in some eases, which you can suggest ? 

I will give you the formula of a number of baby 



10() ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

foods, all of which are good, and some one of which 
ought to satisfy the most exacting appetite. 

An excellent baby food — one of the best — can be 
made out of ordinary flour, and is called "flour ball." 
It is very similar to Imperial Granum. But as the 
transformation of starch into dextrine is only partially 
effected in its preparation, it is only adapted to infants 
who have half a dozen or more teeth, as explained 
elsewhere. 

The formula for making it is as follows: 

FLOUR BALL. 

Take a pound of wheat flour — entire wheat flour 
is best — tie it up very tightly in a strong pudding bag, 
put it in a saucepan of water, and boil constantly for 
ten or twelve hours ; then take it out of the water and 
hang it up to drip. When dry, put into the oven, bag 
and all, and bake for two hours. Then peel off the 
cloth from the ball and pulverize the hard-baked 
inner part by shaving or grating. The boiling and 
baking have changed the starch into dextrine, and it is 
now very nourishing and digestible. The yellowish- 
white powder obtained by the grating may be made 
into a paste with a little water, and added to the milk, or 
if milk disagrees, to cream and water. As a temporary 
food it may be given for a few days only, mixed with 
water. For a baby three to six months old, rub up 
a teaspoonful of this fine flour ball with a tablespoon- 
ful of milk, until a thin paste is made, and add this to 
sufficient scalded milk to fill a nursing bottle. 

BREAD JELLY OR BREAD PAP. 

For a delicate baby with a weak stomach a very 
satisfactory food can be made out of stale bread, that 
is, bread two or three days old. It is better if the 
bread is made from "seconds," or second-grade flour; 



DOMESTIC BABY FOODS. L01 

this is much richer in nutriment than the whiter and 
more costly flour. 

To make the bread jelly a slice of this stale bread an 
inch thick is placed in a basin of cold water and allowed 
to soak for six or eight hours; it is then taken out and 
all the water squeezed out of it. This soaking takes the 
product of fermentation out of the bread, and clears it 
of all irritating matters. The pulp which remains 
after pressing is put into a pint of fresh cold water 
and gently (slowly) boiled for an hour and a half, 
which thoroughly cooks the starch, breaking up the 
starch atoms, and partly changing them into dextrine. 
The thick gruel or pulp thus made forms, when cold, a 
fine, smooth, jelly-like mass which, however, will keep 
sweet and good only a few hours. It should be freshly 
prepared night and morning. In feeding it, add a 
tablespoonful to six ounces of milk which has been 
properly diluted for the age of the baby. If milk dis- 
agrees, the bread jelly can be used in the above propor- 
tions with water alone instead of milk. A little salt or 
sugar may be added. This is a weak food, but it is still 
quite nourishing, and can often be taken when stronger 
foods disagree. Cream and water in the proportions of 
one part of cream to four parts of water may be mixed 
with it, and this is very useful for babies who can not 
digest milk on account of summer complaint. After a 
baby who is naturally weak, or who is sick with diarrhoea, 
has taken the bread jelly for a day or two, milk should 
be substituted for either the cream or water; it is not a 
food which has sufficient nourishment for a steady diet, 
and is suitable only as a stepping-stone to stronger food. 

/ have often heard that arrozvroot zvas a very good 
food for infants. Is it not so ? 

Arrowroot, rice, tapioca, and sago are not suitable 



108 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

foods for an infant under a year old ; they consist 
almost entirely of starch and, as before explained, 
babies can not digest starch. These foods, no matter 
how cooked, are dangerous to very young infants, and 
should not be given until the child has at least six or 
eight teeth. 

Is it proper to give babies, young babies, water to 
drink ? 

Eminently so. Babies often suffer with thirst and 
have no way with which to ask for drink except to cry, 
which is usually interpreted to mean hunger instead of 
thirst. Even a nursing baby needs water occasionally, 
pure water. The average baby suffers, if we only 
knew it, more from thirst than lack of food. Indeed 
most babies are overfed. If the child frets and wants 
something out of regular feeding hours, always offer 
him a cool drink of pure water, that is to say, water 
that is distilled, sterilized, or filtered. A fretful, wake- 
ful baby will often go off into a quiet and restful sleep 
after a few sips of cool water. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. 



You have given me numerous recipes for domestic 
foods, but let me ask you if you regard foods thus 
prepared at home better 'than the commercial baby foods 
wliicJi I see advertised from day to day ? 

Did you ever make a loaf of bread ? Then you know 
that unless the proportions of flour, water, yeast, etc., 
are exact, your bread will not be good. If the dough 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. 109 

is mixed all right, it may still be spoiled in the baking. 
If you attempt to mix and bake the bread yourself, and 
your attention is every now and again diverted by the 
baby, who, perhaps, needs your immediate attention 
at the same time the bread does, you are excusable if 
the loaf of bread is either sour or heavy or overbaked. 
You may be never so good a cook, but you can not be 
expected to do two things at once and do both equally 
well. 

The same is true of domestic baby foods. If you 
could and would devote your whole time and attention 
to it, all would be well. You. could, undoubtedly, 
make an ideal food from the recipes herein given. 
But under the circumstances in which most young 
mothers are placed, it is practically out of the question. 
It is still more so if the mother looks after the baby 
while the average nurse makes the food. 

A friend drops in ; or she has been up with the baby 
the previous night, and is tired and sleepy ; the stove 
behaves badly, and she loses patience ; any of many 
things may occur to spoil the baby's dinner, if its 
preparation requires more than a few minutes and a 
modicum of good common sense. 

This is, I am aware, a very long prologue to the 
answer I am going to give to your question. I might 
have made it shorter, but I am of the opinion you 
would not have understood me as well. 

My answer, then, is, that except in emergencies, or in 
case you have a special fancy for cooking, and plenty 
of time to devote to it, you will do well to let these 
domestic foods alone, and depend on the baby foods 
that are offered for sale everywhere, and which are 
prepared by persons who make it their sole business, 
and whose fortunes and reputations are at stake in the 
perfection of their output. 

8 



110 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

But there are so many of these commercial foods in 
the market, that I am at a loss June to make a selection, 
since all of them claim to be the best. Can you help me 
to make a choice f 

Let me say in the beginning: I do not know of 
a single baby food that is advertised which is destitute 
of merit, nor, on the other hand, do I know of a single 
baby food that is equal to the milk of a healthy young 
woman, especially if she is the mother of the particular 
infant in whose behalf you make these inquiries. 

Let me repeat again that mother's milk — human 
milk — is the only perfect food ; the only food that 
contains all of the nutritious qualities required for 
the life, growth, and development of . the human 
infant. All other foods are but imitations, substitutes 
— all are more or less unsatisfactory and problematical. 

You say that all baby foods have some merit. How 
can I know which is best for my baby f 

There is a difference in the baby foods, and, in order 
to help you, I must explain something about the 
materials used in them, and the principles according 
to which they are made. 

And, in the first place, I must say to you that the 
manufacturers of baby foods, while recognizing that 
many young infants can not digest plain cow's milk, 
know that cow's milk is essential in infant feeding ; 
therefore, all manufactured infants' foods are either 
products to be mixed and prepared for use with fresh 
cow's milk, or products in which cow's milk, dried or 
desiccated, is a constituent. 

But you say there arc many varieties of infants' foods; 
will you tell mc more about them ? 

The infant foods may be conveniently divided into 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. "Ill 

three kinds, namely, farinaceous foods, Liebig foods, 
and dried milk foods. 

J J liat arc "farinaceous "foods ? 

They are foods made from grain, and consist mainly 
of starch ; you can always tell these foods, as they 
make a paste or pap with water, the starch being 
insoluble. 

Will you mention some of these farinaceous foods ? 

There are many of them in the market : Imperial 
Granum, Ridge's Food, Hubbell's Prepared Wheat, etc. 
They consist principally of a starchy substance, which, 
in some, has been partially changed to dextrine, and in 
so far as this change is made, they are good foods. 
Imperial Granum is A T ery much like "flour ball"; as it 
is a starchy food, however, it is not suitable for a young 
infant, but it is an excellent food after dentition has 
been established, and it is much used by invalids. 

How is Imperial Granum prepared for use ? 

It has to be mixed with cow's milk. Two teaspoon- 
fuls of the food are added to six ounces of water. This 
mixture is then cooked for ten minutes, after which an 
equal quantity of milk is added and then it is cooked 
for five minutes longer. 

Hozu are the Liebig foods different ? 

They are also made from grain, but the sta-rch has all 
been changed into dextrine and malt sugar; they are 
soluble in water and never make a pap, but always a 
thin liquid. 

What gave the name to these foods? 

Baron Justus von Liebig, the celebrated German 
chemist, noticed that artificially fed infants were not 
properly nourished in most cases, and he thought out 



112 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

the principle on which a food for an infant's use ought 
to be made, and then he devised the formula for mak- 
ing it. His directions were to take of wheat flour, y 2 
ounce; malted barley flour, Yz ounce; bicarbonate of 
potassa, 7 grains; water, i ounce; cow's milk, 5 ounces. 
Mix these together and cook them over a slow fire, 
stirring the mixture constantly until it becomes thin, 
then take from the fire and stir for five minutes; put 
it back on the fire, let it boil well and then strain 
through a muslin sieve. It will then be thin and 
watery, like mother's milk, because the starch in the 
flour has been changed into soluble dextrine and malt 
sugar and so has dissolved in the milk and water. 

Why is it necessary to change the starch into dextrine 
and maltose ? 

Because starch as starch does not enter into the 
human blood, but when it has been changed into a solu- 
ble form it can be immediately absorbed. Before this 
change is made it is not possible for the starch to be 
absorbed and so take part in the vital processes. 

But adults eat starch freely ? 

Yes, certainly they do. When a healthy adult eats 
starch, the digestive fluids change it into dextrine and 
malt sugar within the body, just as malt changes it 
outside the body. But in infants this power of chang- 
ing starch is not acquired until after they have cut 
their teeth. 

You told me a little while ago that Liebig thought out 
the correct principle for making an infant food; what is 
this principle ? 

It had long been known that cow's milk, when it 
enters the baby's stomach, forms a hard, tough, indi- 
gestible mass, but that mother's milk separates into 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. 113 

light, flaky particles. Now the cow's milk ought to be 
changed so that it will act in the baby's stomach like 
mother's milk, and when it is prepared according to this 
principle it will do so. 

Is tJiis all that should be done to cow's milk f 
No; while cow's milk and mother's milk have the 
same constituents, these constituents are not in the 
same proportions. In this formula it is sought to 
remedy this inequality and to make the food in every 
way like mother's milk. 

Was this really accomplished? 

Yes. This food, when properly made, is as easily 
digested as mother's milk, and it has the same propor- 
tions of the same constituents. It does not contain 
anything which a baby can not digest. It is a most 
admirable food if properly made. 

Can 1 make it myself? 

Yes, but it requires much care and considerable skill ; 
malted barley, too, can rarely be procured outside of 
the largest cities. 

How, then, is it possible for me to use this food? 

The best way for you is to buy a food — Mellin's 
Food, for instance, which is made according to Liebig's 
formula. 

How is Mellin's Food made f 

This food is made by macerating wheat flour, barley 
malt, and bicarbonate of potassa in water until the 
starch of the flour is changed into dextrine and malt 
sugar ; the liquid is then strained and evaporated to 
dryness. When you wish to feed your baby dissolve 
some of this dry powder in water, mix it with milk, 
and you will have just the food which Liebig prepared, 



114 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

and this without any trouble and with no danger of 
spoiling- it in the preparation. 

Then you consider MellirCs to be a really good food 
for my baby? 

In an experience of more than thirty years this food 
has been my stand-by, and seems to me to be the most 
scientifically prepared and to be the most widely suc- 
cessful of all the baby foods with which I am acquainted. 

Please tell me how I ought to prepare the food for 
my baby. 

If your baby is a month old or less, dissolve one level 
tablespoonful of Mellin's Food in twenty-four table- 
spoonfuls of hot water by stirring, and add to eight 
tablespoonfuls of cow's milk. As this will make enough 
for several feedings, you must place it on the ice or where 
it will keep cold. "When you wish to feed the baby, 
stir thoroughly, pour out about four tablespoonfuls or 
more, and heat it to the proper temperature ; taste it 
yourself, and if it is warm enough for you it will be 
right for the baby. 

What kind of milk ought I to use f 

Get fresh milk of good quality from a herd of cows ; 
this is better than one cow's milk, as I have already 
stated. It is better to use from the top half of milk 
that has been set away for a little time in a tall pitcher 
placed on the ice or in a cool place. 

What shall I do if baby has any trouble with his 
stomach ? 

If the milk is not fully digested by the baby, curd 
will be thrown up or appear in the passages, and then 
the amount of milk must be reduced, with a correspond- 
ing increase in the amount of water used. If the bowels 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. 115 

are too loose or the baby is delicate, it will be well to 
scald the milk. 

You say these proportions are for a baby a mouth old. 
What shall I do as my baby grows older? 

You must g-raduall} r increase the amounts of milk 
and Mellin's Food from time to time, as the baby's 
growth requires. 

How sJiall I know when to make the increase ? 
The baby will indicate when his appetite is not 
satisfied. 

Can I regulate the baby's bowels f 

Yes ; by changing the relative quantities of Mellin's 
Food and milk the baby's bowels can ordinarily be 
regulated to a nicety by observing- this rule : Scald 
the milk and increase the proportion of it to overcome 
looseness ; use more Mellin's Food with the milk for 
constipation. 

Can I use condensed milk in place of fresh cow's milk? 

When fresh milk of good quality can be obtained it 
is always best to use it, but it is sometimes necessary 
to use condensed milk in large cities in summer, when 
the fresh milk supply can not be depended upon, or 
when traveling. 

How must I mix the condensed milk f 

The condensed milk must be reduced, as heretofore 
directed, by dissolving it in water ; one level table- 
spoonful of condensed milk to the pint of water will do 
at first, the condensed milk to be gradually increased 
as the baby requires richer food. 

Is cow's milk, when mixed with a baby food, made 
easier of digestion f 

It is true that baby foods separate the milk in a 



ll»i ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

mechanical way into smaller particles in the stomach. 
But surely it can not be advisable to accomplish this 
desirable object by adding to the milk a substance 
(starch) which, as I have already told you. the baby 
can not digest. In Liebig's Food the milk is made to 
form into light, small particles by the use of digestible 
substances which help to nourish the baby. It has 
also been proved that this food actually assists in the 
digestion of the milk. 

Would you recommend peptonizing the baby's milk? 

Predigested (peptonized) milk is good in an emer- 
gency, but experience has shown that it ought not to 
be used for any length of time: when such food is 
used, the stomach has no work to do, and will in time 
lose much of its power to digest ordinary food. This 
is equally true of infants and adult-. 

T/ic foods you have described arc prepared with milk; 

arc there not sonic foods which arc prepared by simply 
mixing water with them t 

Yes; these foods are the dried milk foods, like Xes- 
tle's Food, and Malted Milk, and they are prepared by 

mixing with water only. 

Does Nestle's Feed contain anything besides the dried 

milk ? 

Yes ; besides the dried milk it contains large amounts 
of starch and cane sugar, which I have already ex- 
plained are objectionable for young infants. It is pre- 
pared by mixing a tablespoonful of the food with a 
little cold water until perfectly smooth, and then boil- 
ing in a saucepan with half a pint of water for a few 
minutes, stirring the mixture constantly until it thick- 
ens and a milky froth appears on the top. 

Is Malted Milk different ? 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. 117 

This is also a dried milk food, but it contains no 
starch, the starchy matters having been changed into 
dextrine and maltose. 

Is it not a good food? 

It is a popular food, but its faults are a great deficiency 
of fat, and the fact that the proportion of milk and malt 
sugar are unalterable, while intelligent feeding demands 
that these proportions should be varied to suit the 
requirements of the child's ever-varying condition. 

Can not I overcome this objection by varying the quan- 
tity of water I mix with the food? 

No; because using more or less water will make no 
change in the relative proportions of milk and malt 
sugar, as you will see if you think a minute. 

Are these the only objections to dried milk foods ? 

No ; there are also two serious objections which are 
common to all dried milk foods. I can best explain by 
a little illustration. If you dry an apple and then soak 
it in water, it will swell out again, but it will always be 
dried apple ; you can not change it back to a good, 
fresh apple. In the same way, when milk has been 
dried and then water added, it forms a milky-looking 
fluid, but it is still dried milk and water, and not fresh 
milk. You know that dried apples are not so good a 
food as fresh apples are, and you will understand that 
dried milk can never be so good for a baby as fresh 
milk. Then all dried milk foods are deficient in fat, as 
the fat or butter is removed in the process of manufac- 
ture. One manufacturer of an infant food has tried to 
.supply this lack of fat by using cocoa butter in making 
his soluble food. 

What liappens to a baby if his food docs not contain 
enougli fat ? 



118 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

The teeth will probably come late, the bones are apt 
to be soft and are easily bent ; the baby will walk late 
and perspire readily about the head and neck. If you 
will use fresh cow's milk of good quality, prepared 
with Mellin's Food, you will have no trouble of this 
kind. 

How soon may a baby be allowed to cat potatoes and 
fruit ? 

Neither is permissible under two years of age, and 
then not at the general or family table. If potatoes 
are given at this age they should be carefully selected 
and thoroughly baked ; never mashed, boiled, or fried. 
Such fruits as baked apple, ripe peaches, or plum juice 
may be given tentatively, but berries with seeds, and 
all acid fruits, are liable to cause trouble. Besides 
potatoes, a healthy infant of two years may be allowed 
to have fresh small peas, asparagus tops, young string 
beans, stewed celery, boiled onions, but only if they are 
young and tender and thoroughly cooked. 

When will it be safe or advisable to add rice, hominy, 
and such articles to the baby's diet ? 

Not until the major part of the teeth are through, at 
the age of, say, twenty or twenty-four months. 

Arc bananas allozvablc to a young infant ? 

It is impossible to get fresh, ripe bananas in our 
northern markets. Those we get are picked green, 
and when offered for sale are generally either unripe 
or overripe — they are hence not safe to give a young 
infant. After the child is two or three years of age 
they may be given, if well developed and not at all 
decayed. 

How often should a bottle-fed baby be given the bottle 
during the first montJi ? 



THE COMMERCIAL FOODS. 11!) 

The same intervals should be observed as in breast- 
fed children; that is to say, every two hours during- the 
day and twice during the night. This means ten feed- 
ing's during twenty-four hours. This rule should be 
strictly adhered to, for regularity in feeding is abso- 
lutely essential to health. 

Why should not a child be fed more frequently? 

Because it takes the stomach of an infant two months 
old at least two hours to digest a meal and regain its 
power to digest another. The stomach must have 
some rest. If the meals follow each other too closely, 
indigestion is certain to be the result. 

Should a baby be wakened to be nursed or fed if it is 
sleeping quietly ? 

Only during the first few days; after this, regular 
feeding will soon establish a regular habit of awaken- 
ing for food. 

What symptoms are present when a baby is overfed? 

The food is vomited very soon after the bottle is 
taken and the stools show the presence of undigested 
particles. 

What signs indicate that a baby is not getting nour- 
ishment enough ? 

The bottle is emptied quickly and ravenously. The 
child cries when the bottle is taken away, sucks 
violently at his fingers, and is restless and unhappy 
until he gets the bottle again. 

If a considerable portion of the meal is vomited, what 
is to be done ? 

Omit the next bottle altogether or give plain water, 
hot or cold, instead. At the second feeding make the 
food much weaker and eive less of it. 



120 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

How soon is anything besides breast milk or the bottle 
to be given the baby f 

This will depend upon the baby's development. As 
soon as six or eight teeth are present you may begin 
giving a little meat juice, or a small portion of a soft- 
boiled egg. A crust of stale bread will be an enjoya- 
ble addition to the infant's menu. 

At zv hat age should a child ordinarily be weaned from 
the bottle ? 

Not later than eighteen or twenty months, and 
earlier if the baby is robust and summer heat is not 
just coming on. 



CHAPTER VI. 

ACCESSORY FOODS. 

Docs it not sometimes happen that none of the standard 
or regular foods agree, and yet some strange or alien 
food will just meet the case in hand ? 

This very thing does occasionally occur, and I will give 
you the formula for a number of these foods which may 
sometimes serve in an emergency, and which, for the 
want of abetter term, I shall designate A cccssory Foods. 

Whey. — When the curd of milk passes through the 
bowels undigested, as indicated by white flakes in the 
baby's stools, it is often well to eliminate the curd 
temporarily and give the whey of the milk, with or 
without cream. 

To make whey, add one teaspoonful of essence of 
pepsin or liquid pepsin, or two teaspoonfuls of liquid 
rennet, to one-half pint of warm milk. After it stiffens, 
beat up the curd with a fork. vStrain off the whey. 



ACCESSORY FOODS. 121 

How is the whey to be used? 

It may be added to barley water, half and half, or it 
may be added to cream and sugar. 

Cream and Whey Mixture. — Cream, one ounce; 
whey, two ounces ; warm water, two ounces ; milk 
sugar, one teaspoon ful. 

This is very useful in cases of delicate stomach, when 
stronger foods are rejected. It should be used, how- 
ever, only temporarily. Such foods as this have proven 
serviceable in queer cases, wherein other and theo- 
retically better foods have failed. 

Albumen Water. — The raw white of one egg is 
dissolved in a teacupful of cold water. It may be 
sweetened, if desired. This is useful as a temporary 
nourishment or as a substitute for milk. 

In some cases the albumen water and barley water 
may be advantageously mixed, using the following 
formula : Barley water, ten ounces ; the white of one 
egg ; white sugar, one teaspoonful. 

Gum Arabic Water. — Gum arabic, one heaping tea- 
spoonful ; boiling water, one pint (sixteen ounces). 
Dissolve ; sweeten. This is sometimes useful tempo- 
rarily in place of barley water. 

Doctor Meigs' Gelatin Food. — The author's for- 
mula is as follows : Dissolve a small quantity of pre- 
pared gelatin or Russian isinglass in water, to which is 
added milk, cream, and a little arrowroot, or any other 
farinaceous substance that may be preferred. A 
scruple of the gelatin (or a piece, two inches square, of 
the flat cake in which it is sold) is soaked for a short 
time in cold water, and then boiled in half a pint of 
water until it dissolves — about ten or fifteen minutes. 
To this is added, with constant stirring, and just at 
the' termination of boiling, the milk and arrowroot, 
the latter being previously mixed into a paste, with 



122 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

a little cold water. After the addition of the milk 
and arrowroot, and just before the removal from the 
fire, the cream is poured in, and a moderate quantity 
of loaf sugar added. The proportions of milk, cream, 
and arrowroot must depend on the age and digestive 
power of the child. For a healthy infant within the 
month, we usually direct from three to four ounces of 
milk, half an ounce to an ounce of cream, and a tea- 
spoonful of arrowroot to a half-pint of water. For 
older children, the quantit} r of milk and cream should 
be gradually increased to a half or two-thirds milk, 
and from one to two ounces of cream. We seldom 
increase the quantity of gelatin or arrowroot. 

This food is especially recommended for infants suf- 
fering with diarrhoea, colic, and vomiting, and who can 
not retain milk and water or cream and water. 

Hozv is raiv-meat juice prepared? 

Babies can not live on a purely vegetable diet. They 
must have animal food in some form. Nursing babies 
get this in the mother's milk, which is, as has been 
repeatedly said, the only perfect food. 

Next to this comes cow's milk, properly treated; but 
when this is vomited up or not digested, sometimes the 
juice of raw beef will take its place. In summer com- 
plaint and cholera infantum this is often very useful. 

Raw-Meat Juice. — To prepare raw-meat juice, have 
your butcher grind a pound of round of beef, just as 
for making Hamburger steak. Place this ground beef 
over the fire in a skillet or pan for just a few moments, 
until heated -through. Do not add any water. Then 
squeeze out the juice through a lemon squeezer. Sea- 
son with a little salt, and give a little at a time, accord- 
ing to the age and strength of the baby. With very 
young babies only a few drops should be given at once. 



ACCESSORY FOODS. 123 

Wliat do you think of koumiss ? 

Koumiss is another food which is oftentimes of great 
value when the stomach is very delicate. The formula 
is too intricate for domestic use. It should be prepared 
with o-reat care and is obtainable in all larsfe cities. 

All foods for delicate stomachs depend for their value 
on the care with which they are prepared as well as on 
the constituent properties of the foods themselves. 

How is oatmeal best prepared? 

Milk and Oatmeal. — Oatmeal, rolled or finely pow- 
dered, one teaspoonful; water, two tablespoonfuls; milk, 
five tablespoonfuls; cream, one tablespoonful; sugar 
of milk, one teaspoonful. Heat the water until nearly 
but not quite boiling. Stir in the oatmeal slowly until 
a smooth, white mixture is obtained; then add the other 
ingredients. This is suitable for an infant three or four 
months old and is useful in eases of constipation. 

What is the best method of preparing beef tea? 

There are many ways of preparing beef tea. The 
old process of making beef tea in a bottle or with sul- 
phuric acid is antiquated. Experience has proven that 
the quicker and simpler methods are the best. It 
should be understood, however, that beef teas, however 
made, contain but a trifling- amount of nutriment. 
While more palatable than some of the ready-made 
beef extracts on the market, they have really but 
little nutritive value. 

One of the best recipes for making domestic beef 
tea is the following: 

To one pound of lean beef minced or finely chopped, 
add one pint of water. Stir and let stand in an earthen 
vessel for an hour; strain and let cool. When about to 
use, remove all fat by means of a spoon or blotting 
paper; warm and serve with salt. 



124 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Beef Tea in Fifteen Minutes. — Doctor Starr gives 
the following recipe for making beef tea quickly : 
Scrape one pound of lean beef into fibers, and after plac- 
ing it in a clean saucepan, pour on half a pint of boiling 
water ; then cover the saucepan closely, and place it by 
the side of the fire for ten minutes ; next strain into a 
teacup ; place this in a basin of ice-cold water and 
remove all fat from the surface of the liquid, first with 
a spoon and finally with a piece of stale bread or blot- 
ting paper ; then pour into a warm cup and heat gently 
to the temperature for drinking. 

Will you give me a good recipe for chicken broth f 
Chicken Broth. — A small chicken or half a large 
fowl, thoroughly cleaned, and with all the skin and fat 
removed, is to be chopped, bones and all, into small 
pieces ; put these, with a small quantity of salt, into a 
saucepan and add a quart of boiling water; cover 
closely and simmer over a slow fire for two hours ; after 
removing allow to stand, still covered, for an hour, and 
strain through a sieve. 

Mutton Broth. — Lean loin of mutton, one pound; 
water, three pints; boil gently until very tender, adding 
a little salt ; strain into a basin, and, when cool, skim 
off all the fat. Warm when served. 

When is rectal feeding useful? 

In cases of marasmus (wasting) or great exhaustion 
it is sometimes necessary to use the rectum temporarily 
for purposes of nutrition. Peptonized milk or meat 
extracts, and sometimes gluten suppositories, are used 
in this way. But any condition rendering such an 
expedient necessary would require the services of an 
experienced and skillful physician, so that explicit 
directions are not deemed necessary here. It may be 
said, however, that a small bulb syringe with a short, 



ACCESSORY FOODS. 125 

Straight nozzle, is the proper thing to use, and the 
rectum should always be prepared for the nutritive 
enemata by being; first washed out with an enema of 
plain warm water. Only a small quantity of nutriment 
should be used at a time — for an infant under a year 
not over one tablespoonful, and for a ehild under two 
years of age not to exceed two tablespoonfuls. The 
enemata should not be given oftener than every four 
hours. 

Docs a baby tire of one food and require a frequent 
change of diet like an adult ? 

No. A young baby has no fine sense of taste what- 
ever. It feels but the one desire for food, irrespective 
of fine shades of taste, but very soon the taste develops, 
and after that the food which agrees should be adhered 
to. There need be no fear of that satiety which older 
people feel from having the same meal served day after 
day. Use the food that agrees and stick to it, increas- 
ing its strength from time to time, as the child grows 
older, by adding more milk or other animal food and 
less vegetable until after the babe is weaned. 

How early is it wise tc bring a child from the nursery 
to the general table ? 

Not until he is four or five years old. There are 
many things on a family table which are quite proper 
for adults to eat which can not be indulged in by 
infants with safety — cheese, pie, pudding, tea, and 
coffee, to say nothing of wines and cordials. It can 
not be too strongly impressed on young parents that a 
baby needs "baby food," and not such food as is eaten 
by the father and mother. Young parents are usually 
proud of the baby's first appearance at the table, and 
often boast that the prattling infant "eats just like a 
man." They too often carry the precocious infant to 



126 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

the grave, little thinking that eating " like a man" was 
the real cause of their sorrow. An infant under two 
years of age should never be brought to the family 
table. You would not seat your baby alongside of an 
open fire, and thus tempt it to put its hand into the 
bright and attractive blaze. No more should you tempt 
it, ignorant and inquisitive as it is, by bringing it to 
the table, where it will see others eating food that 
would be the same as poison to its delicate stomach. 
Teach every child that there are foods grown people 
may eat which will make it sick, and perhaps cause 
death, if it is allowed to eat them. The education of 
the appetite should begin at the cradle and be kept up 
during the periods of infancy and childhood. A riotous 
and ruinous appetite is often formed in the first year 
of life. Because a baby or child wants a thing this is 
no reason why it should have it. As a parent you must 
exercise judgment and discretion ; a child has neither. 
You want your child to be a strong man or woman 
when grown up — to be mentally, morally, and physic- 
ally healthy. Remember that much depends upon its 
food during the first year or two of life, and on the 
restraint which is put upon its appetite. 

Have y oti any tiling further to suggest about baby feed- 
ing? 

Let me recapitulate some of the things I have said 
about infant feeding, tinder the heading: 

GENERAL RULES FOR FEEDING. 

i. If a child is disinclined to eat at his regular meal- 
time he should not be forced or urged to do so. 

2. Never try to tempt the appetite by giving knick- 
knacks or indigestible foods when ordinary simple food 
is refused. 



ACCESSORY FOODS. \'l\ 

3. Food should not be allowed between meals when 
it is declined at the regular meal-time. 

4. If a child refuses food altogether, or takes less 
than usual, the food should be examined to see if it is 
all right. Then the mouth must be inspected to see if 
it is sore. If neither of these things is the cause, the 
food should be taken away and not offered again until 
the next feeding time comes. 

5. In any acute illness the amount of food should be 
much reduced and the food made more delicate, i.e., 
thinner, than usual. 

6. In very hot weather less food should be given, 
especially less solid food, and more water. 

7. The cereal foods should never be given for any 
considerable length of time, except in combination with 
milk. 

8. When the cereal foods are prepared by domestic 
processes, they should be thoroughly cooked until the 
starch they contain is more or less transformed into 
maltose. 

9. All artificial infant foods should be given at the 
body temperature (ioo° F.) and through a clean nurs- 
ing bottle. 

10. Regularity in feeding is every way essential to 
health. 

11. As soon as an infant has half a dozen teeth its 
diet should be liberalized, i. e., varied so as to stimulate 
the development of the peptic glands and increase the 
digestive powers. 

12. Remember that infants require water as much as 
they need food, and oftentimes suffer for the want of 
the former more than from the need of the latter. 

But suppose a baby refuses the food prescribed and 
will not take it, what is one to do ? 
Wait until the sense of hunger comes and all trouble 



128 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

about his taking the food will vanish. A strong-willed 
baby will sometimes make an obstinate fight, but it 
would be folly, and it might be dangerous, to yield to 
his caprice. 



PART III. 
THE BABY 



" There are smiles and tears in the mother ' s eyes, 
For her new-bom babe beside her lies. 
Oh .' heaven of bliss ! when the heart o'er flows 
With the rapture a mother only knows.'" 

— Henry Ware, Jr. 

il A sweet new blossom of humanity, 
Fresh fallen from God's own home, to flower on earth. 

— Massey. 



CHAPTER I. 

SIGNS OF HEALTH. 

Will you give me some general hints by which I may 
judge if my child is Jiealtliy or not ? 

The signs of health are generally well pronounced 
and the symptoms of illness are usually unmistakable 
to one who is accustomed to the behavior of infants. 

A babe is often restless for the first few days until the 
secretion of milk in the mother's breasts is sufficient to 
satisfy its needs for food. After this, the first month, a 
well baby ought to sleep most of the time (eighteen to 
twenty hours out of twenty-four). It should stay awake 
long enough to nurse and be washed and dressed, and 
then drop off again into quiet sleep. It should be turned 
over occasionally in its crib or in bed, so that it may 
not be restless from prolonged lying. 

On which side should a baby naturally lie ? 

Theoretically on the right side, because otherwise the 
liver, which is a very large and heavy organ, will press 
upon the stomach and make the baby uncomfortable. 
Do not, however, attempt to make it lie on the right 
side. It will adjust its position to suit its own comfort. 

What is the color of a healthy new-born babe ? 

The normal color is decidedly red or reddish-brown 
at first, but after the first week the color fades to a 
delicate pink or light olive. If the color of the skin is 
mottled or bluish, the babe is either cold or ill. A 
warm bath or rubbing the skin should develop a deep- 
ening glow over the whole surface. 

(131) 



132 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Is the color of the eyes at birth retained, or does it 
change ? 

The color of the eyes at birth is a very indefinite one 
and is a sort of blue in all babies. In the course of six 
or eight weeks the color gradually changes to that 
which is permanent, and may be lighter or darker than 
when first born. 

Does a he alt J ly baby cry ? 

The very first act of a well-born baby is to cry, and 
until it learns to talk it — 

"Has no language but a cry." 

Is crying ever beneficial? 

Certainly. It expands the lungs and helps the circu- 
lation of the blood. It is quite necessary that a baby 
should cry more or less, in order to keep the lungs well 
expanded. 

Tlien crying does not always indicate illness ? 

Far from it. Every well organized child should cry 
at least fifteen or thirty minutes every day If it does 
not cry when first born it is quite proper for the at- 
tendant to spank it or resort to other vigorous measures 
to produce a cry. I believe, also, that in certain forms 
of illness characterized by low vitality and shallow 
breathing, spanking to produce crying may be a valua- 
ble aid to the daily treatment. 

What is the character of this healthy cry ? 

It is loud and strong, and very like a scream. Such a 
cry need not worry you. It is the baby's natural exer- 
cise. Without it he would be no better than a doll baby. 

What is the cry of temper ? 

It is strong, loud, and violent, and is usually accom- 
panied by kicking and stiffening of the body. 



S/GXS OF HEALTH. L33 

What is the cry of hunger ? 

It is usually a continuous, fretful cry, not strong and 
lusty; and is accompanied, if the child is strong 
enough, by reaching after something. 

What is the cry induced by indulgence or from habit? 

This cry is often heard, even in very young infants, 
who have been over-indulged and have had too much 
attention paid to their whims and caprices. Young 
infants quickly learn that a cry attracts attention, and 
if yielded to, it speedily forms a bad habit. It cries to 
be rocked or carried about, for a bottle to suck, or for 
the continuance of any bad habit it may have formed. 

How can one be sure that a child is crying from temper 
or to be indulged? 

Under these circumstances it stops immediately 
when it gets what it wants, and cries again when it is 
withdrawn or if it is withheld. 

Hozv should a child be managed that behaves this way? 

It should simply be allowed to cry it out. The more 
attention is paid to such a cry the worse it will be for 
all parties concerned. 

Is there not danger that rupture may be caused from 
crying ? 

Not in young infants if otherwise healthy, and if the 
belly-band is properly applied. After the youngster is 
a year old there is absolutely no such danger. 

What arc the normal respirations of an infant? 

The number and character of the respirations in 
infancy vary with the age and the condition of the 
infant. During sleep the respiration is quiet and com- 
paratively regular, but even then not as regular and 
rhythmical as that of an adult. 



134 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

During waking hours it exhibits a very great irregu- 
larity, which is characteristic up to several years of age. 
It is most marked during the first year, but is more or 
less apparent all through childhood. A child will often 
hold its breath for a moment, apparently without cause 
and surely without consequence. It is involuntary. A 
number of quick breaths may occur, followed by a 
number of slow ones. This is one of the physiological 
peculiarities of infancy, and no weight need be attached 
to it. It is technically known as puerile breatliing. 
Up to the age of puberty the respiration in children is 
largely abdominal; in girls as well as boys. 

The heaving movement is seen almost entirely in the 
abdomen, while the chest remains comparatively still. 
After girls reach the age of twelve or fifteen the 
character of their breathing changes and becomes like 
that of mature women — more from the chest than 
abdominal. 

NUMBER OF RESPIRATIONS PER MINUTE. 

During first week, 30 to 50 ; average 40. 

During rest of first year, 25 to 35; average 30. 

One to two years, average 28. 

Two to four years, average 25. 

Four to fifteen years, average 22. 

Adult life, average 17. 

During sleep the respirations are considerably less 
than when awake. The slightest excitement increases 
both pulse and respirations. 

What is the normal rapidity of the pulse during in- 
fancy ? 

The pulse, like the breathing, is much more rapid 
than at maturity, and is also much more variable. The 
following table shows the normal average pulse-rate 
at different ages: 



SIGNS OF II HALT If. .135 

NUMBER OF AVERAGE PULSE-BEATS PER MINUTE. 

At birth, 130 to 150. 
First month, 120 to 140. 
One to six months, about 130. 
Six months to one year, about 120. 
One to two years, about 115. 
Two to four years, about no. 
Six years, about 100. 
Eight years, about 88. 
Fourteen years, about 87. 
Adult life, average 72. 

How and where is the pulse best taken ? 

With adults it is best taken at the wrist, on the 
thumb side, where the radial artery is quite near the 
surface. In very young infants it is best taken on the 
side of the neck, where the carotid artery can, in thin 
babies, be seen to pulsate ; or it may be taken by 
placing the ear over the heart itself. Another very 
good method is to watch the rise and fall of the 
fontanelle. 

What is the normal temperature of a healthy babe at 
birth ? 

About ioo° F, It is especially important for every 
mother to make herself familiar with the normal and 
abnormal temperature, and this can only be done by 
using a tested clinical thermometer. No trust should 
be placed in the sense of touch. The baby's feet and 
hands may be cold while a high fever is raging within. 
The best clinical thermometers are self -registering, that 
is, the top of the column of mercury which indicates 
the temperature will remain at the highest point 
attained after it has been removed from the child. 
It should be allowed to remain in situ for at least 
three minutes by the watch. 



136 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

The best instrument is of glass and the Fahrenheit 
scale is cut in the glass tube, dividing it into degrees 
and fifths of a degree. The normal temperature of the 
body is indicated by an arrow-point, 98.5 °. 

Where should the temperature be taken ? 

With young infants the thermometer should always 
be used in the rectum. Dip the mercury end, after 
shaking down the register, into some vaseline and 
insert it until the instrument is half buried in the 
bowel and hold it there for at least three minutes. 
This may be done while the baby is lying on the bed 
or across the lap on its stomach. The procedure is 
simple, painless, and free from danger. 

After use, always wash the thermometer with soap 
and cold water, and be sure to shake down the register, 
i. e., the column of mercury in the tube, before replac- 
ing it in the hard-rubber holder. 

Is the temperature of the body in health uniform and 
invariable ? 

There is a regular variation during the twenty-four 
hours, which is more marked in infants than in adults. 
The temperature rises slightly after a full meal, and 
there is a slight rise after an unusual excitement or a 
hearty cry. The normal temperature is highest during 
the forenoon and lowest during the night. There may 
be a difference of one, two, or even three degrees 
between the readings at different times of the day. If 
the thermometer registers a temperature of 97.5 ° to 99 
in the evening or night, and 98 or 99.5 ° in the morning, 
this may be considered normal. Unless the thermom- 
eter registers a temperature above ioo° we do not con- 
sider it abnormal. All fevers and serious illnesses 
have a temperature above or below the figure men- 
tioned. 



SIGNS OF HEALTH. 13*3 

Are there other signs of health which you have not as 
yet referred to, but which may indicate that a baby is 
doing well? 

I have already spoken of the baby's weight and the 
significance of a daily gain. In a healthy infant the 
body and limbs are rounded and plump; the skin is 
soft and of a rosy hue. The countenance when in 
repose in earliest infancy is without expression, save 
that of perfect peace and satisfaction. There is an 
absence of lines; the surface is cool; the abdomen is 
full and soft, and pressure upon it apparently causes 
pleasure rather than pain. The mouth is always moist, 
and the lips are pink and often protruding. The sleep 
of the new-born is quiet and profound. During its 
waking hours, after say the first month or two, it is 
inclined to as much activity as its limited powers and 
curtailed environments will permit. It exhibits a won- 
derful springiness in all its movements, and seems to 
be an embodiment of perpetual motion. 

Do very young infants sited tears ? 

Tears are unusual before the child has reached the 
age of three months. Even older children do not weep 
if greatly emaciated or very ill. When the tears have 
been suppressed for a time their reappearance is a sign 
of good omen. 

Are there still other signs of good health which you, 
have not yet mentioned ? 

In a healthy infant all of the bodily functions are 
performed regularly and painlessly. There is no 
starting or jumping in sleep, no sensible perspiration. 
In a word, the baby is comfortable and happy, and 
if it bears any grudge against anybody for bringing it 
into this "vale of tears." it does not give outward evi- 
dence of any such feeling. 



138 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

THE URINE. 

What is the color of the urine in a new-born infant ? 

The urine of a young and healthy infant has scarcely 
any color. It is almost like clear water in appearance, 
has very little odor, and leaves no stain upon the diaper. 

How often should the urine be voided? 

This is difficult to answer, because babies differ so 
much at the same age and differ so widely at different 
ages. The food has much to do with the frequency of 
urinatin .*-, as well as the quantity passed in twenty-four 
hours. The temperature of the air is also to be taken 
into consideration. In cool weather the quantity is 
greater. In warm or hot weather the quantity is less, 
because much of the excess of moisture in the body 
passes off in sensible or insensible perspiration. The 
average frequency of urination of a young baby is 
probably from six to ten times daily, but if everything 
else is normal an evacuation of urine every hour need 
not cause any feeling of uneasiness in the mind of 
parent or nurse. As age increases and better control 
of the bladder is acquired, the frequency diminishes to 
about six or eight times a day, more or less. 

What is the normal amount of urine passed by a young 
babe ? 

The amount is subject to much variation, but it may 
be approximately estimated at from eight to twelve 
ounces. In cool weather it will be more and in hot 
weather less. 



DEVELOPMENT, L89 



CHAPTER II. 

DEVELOPMENT. 

Isn't it wonderful, when you think, 
How the creeping grasses grow, 

High on the mountain's rocky brink, 
In the valleys down below? 

******** 

Isn't it wonderful ', when you think, 

How a little seed asleep, 
Out of the earth new life will drink, 

And carefully upward creep ? 
******** 

Isn't it wonderful, when you think, 
How the wild bird sings his song, 
Weaving melodies, link by link, 



Isn't it wonderful, when you think, 

How a little baby grows, 
From his big, round eyes, that wink and blink, 

Down to his tiny toes ? 
******** 

— Julian S. Cutler . 

What do I understand you to mean when you sbcak of 
the "period of infancy "f 

"Infancy," when used by physicians, is generally 
understood to mean from birth until all the first set of 
teeth has come, which is usually accomplished by the 
age of two and one-half years. Childhood, as distin- 
guished from infancy, extends from the completion of 



140 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

the first dentition until the age of puberty, which, in 
this country, is about twelve or fifteen years. In the 
present volume we shall use the terms infant and baby 
as synonymous, and endeavor to answer all the ques- 
tions appertaining to this early period which an anxious 
mother would care to ask her trusted medical adviser. 
In another volume we may consider with equal care 
and fidelity those questions which relate to childhood, 
and which concern the boy and the girl during adoles- 
cence. At present we are only interested in knowing 
all about the baby — from birth until he has all his 
teeth. 

Let me ask you first, then, what is the average weight 
of a new-born infant ? 

About seven pounds for boys, while girls weigh, on 
an average, a little less, or about six and three-quarters 
or six and one-half pounds. There is considerable 
variation, however, in the weight of a healthy infant 
born at full term. The normal limits of variation are 
probably between five or five and one-half and twelve 
pounds. Some children are very thin when born, and 
if healthy and of proper proportions, very soon become 
plump, and weigh as much as their more favored 
brothers and sisters. 

What is the usual gain in weight after birth ? 

A new-born baby generally loses a few ounces in 
weight during its first week, after which it ought to 
gain steadily. It is a noticeable fact, however, that the 
gain is not uniform. During the last three weeks of 
the first month the gain is, on an average, something 
less than an ounce a day. During the second month it 
is a full ounce a day, and in the third and fourth months 
about five ounces a week or about three-fourths of an 
ounce a day. By the time the infant has reached four 



DEVELOPMENT. 141 

months of age it has doubled its original weight of 
seven pounds. After this it gains at the rate of a 
pound a month until it is twelve months old, so that at 
the end of the first year it has trebled its original 
weight. 

Tell me also, if you please, what is the average length 
of a healthy new-born infant ? 

About nineteen inches, and by the end of the first 
month it ought to add to this length about one and 
one-half inches. After the first month the gain in 
height averages something less than an inch a month, 
so that at the age of one year the measurement is 
about twenty-seven or perhaps twenty-eight inches. 

Has sickness any effect on development ? 

Yes, a very great effect. Oftentimes a slight illness, 
if prolonged, retards the growth, and a slight diarrhoea 
will quickly put a stop to all gain in weight. Some- 
times loss of weight is the only apparent sign that the 
baby is not thriving. For this reason the child ought 
to be weighed frequently — every week at first, and 
later every two or three weeks. This should never be 
neglected, for, however well and happy the baby may 
seem, if it is not putting on its normal addition of 
weight, there is something wrong. While the average 
amount of gain is not absolute in all cases, some gain 
in weight is essential to health and normal develop- 
ment, and a more or less complete cessation of gain is 
highly significant of trouble. Systematic weighing is 
particularly important when some change of diet is 
being made, for in this way we can quickly judge 
whether the new food is agreeing or not — whether it 
is sufficiently nutritious in quality or great enough in 
quantity. In a general way it may be said that a baby 

which gains half an ounce a day during its first month 
10 



142 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



or two is doing fairly well, but a child doing- thoroughly 
well gains double or treble this amount. 

Are there any other points to be mentioned zvliicli indi- 
cate proper progress in the infant's body ? 

The chest affords another test of development which 
should not be lost sight of. Taking an infant weighing 
seven pounds and measuring nineteen and one-half 
inches at birth, the girth of the chest in a well- 
developed infant should be a little over thirteen inches. 
By the fourth month it should be increased to fifteen 
inches, and by the sixth month to sixteen inches. By 
the twelfth the measurement should be seventeen 
inches or thereabouts, and by the fifth year to twenty- 
one inches. 

The changes which take place in the stature of the 
child have been so admirably illustrated by Leroy M. 
Yale, M. D., in "Babyhood" (Vol.ii, page 311), that 
we copy not only his illustration, but his remarks 
thereon: 




Diagram Showing Relative Stature from i to 22 Years of Age. 

" The six figures represent the average relative 
stature of males of the ages of one, five, nine, thir- 



DEVELOPMENT, 143 

teen, seventeen, and twenty-two years. It will be 
noticed that the figures all stand on a level plain. The 
tops of the heads are connected by a dotted line, and 
the height of each figure is divided into four equal 
parts, the points of division being connected with the 
corresponding ones in each figure. If the rate of 
growth were uniform, the dotted lines connecting the 
heads would, of course, be straight if a child for every 
year were included in the rank. But in the earlier 
years the growth is much more rapid than it is later, 
and hence the line is a curve, rising quite suddenly 
at the first, and becoming flatter toward the end of 
growth. It is to be understood that these are all 
averages — including, but not showing, the extremes of 
slowness and rapidity of growth as well as fitfulness of 
growth. The diagram also show T s the different develop- 
ment of different parts of the person. The head, for 
instance, in the child of one year, is nearly one-fourth 
of the whole height ; that of the adult is about two- 
thirteenths, or, to use the phrase of artists, the little 
child is not much more than four heads high, while the 
adult of twenty-two is about six and one-half heads 
high ; and even this is a much larger head than the 
average adult has. Notice that the third dotted line, 
marking one-half of the total height, crosses the navel 
in the infant, while in the adult the half height mark 
is but little above the juncture of the legs and the 
body, which shows how much larger, proportionately, 
the body of an infant is than an adult's. If this same 
line be followed, it will be noticed that it keeps well up 
in the abdomen until after the age of nine. Between 
that age and puberty the growth of the lower extremi- 
ties is usually very rapid, and the well-known 'shoot- 
ing up ' of boys and girls takes place, the whole person 
growing, but the lower part in particular, ^Similar 



144 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

changes of location will be noticed by following the 
quarter lines, but the changes are not so abrupt." 

Does the development of the /lead and chest progress 
correspondingly to that of the height ? 

Here is a table showing the circumference of head 
and chest at different ages * : 

HEAD. CHEST. 

Birth 133/ inches 13 inches. 

Six months 16^ " 15^ " 

One year iS " 17 " 

Two years 18^ " 173^ " 

Three years 19 " 19^/ " 

Six years 19^ " 20^ " 

Twelve years 20 " 23^ " 

Adult life 21^ " 30- " 

It is noticeable how much more rapid the growth of 
the chest is when compared with that of the head. 

What is the meaning of that soft spot in t/ie head of 
an infant ? 

There are two soft spots in every infant's head at 
birth. The larger one is in front, just above the hair 
line of the forehead, and is called the anterior fonta- 
nelle ; the smaller is in the back part of the head, just 
above the base of the skull, and is called the posterior 
fontanelle. The anterior fontanelle is often a good 
guide to the development of the bony structure of the 
infant. At six months of age the fontanelle is some- 
what larger than at birth, because the brain expands 
faster than bony matter is deposited around the edges 
of the opening in the skull bones. But after this age 
the deposit of bone goes on more rapidly than the 
growth of the brain substance, and by the age of six- 

* "The Care of the Baby," by J. P. Crozer Griffith, M. D., 
page 57. 



DBVELOPMBNT, 145 

teen or eighteen months the opening should be entirely 

closed. If it is not closed by the time the infant is two 
years old you may be sure there is something wrong 
with the child's nutrition. (See the paragraph on 
rickets.) 

Has the anterior fontanelle any other significance ? 

Yes, to one who is experienced in the symptoms of 
illness in infancy the fontanelle shows, or may show, 
several things. If it be so depressed that the skin 
covering it falls below the general level of the sur- 
rounding bones, it indicates general weakness. If it 
bulges out, so as to be markedly prominent, it may 
mean a dropsy of the brain (hydrocephalus). 

What change do the features undergo in the course of 
development in a healthy infant ? 

At first the head and face are round and rather 
expressionless, but as the infant grows the features 
expand upward and forward as the front lobe of the 
brain develops, while the lower part of the face re- 
mains stationary, or, perhaps, loses something of its 
fullness. If the digestive organs lose their normal 
activity the cheeks lose their fullness and the chin fails 
to expand, giving rise to what is called a " hatchet 
face." All through infancy the head seems dispro- 
portionately large as compared with the other organs. 

At what age are tears secreted? 

Not until the infant is three or four months old. At 
any age the eyes may be moist from crying, but not 
until the age mentioned do large tears form which run 
down the face. Sometimes during severe illness the 
tears are suppressed, and their reappearance is a sign 
of good omen. 

In what order are the senses developed ? 



146 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

It is probable that at birth taste is the only sense 
which is active. Even this sense is only half alive. 
The infant can not see ; it has no will ; it hears but 
indistinctly, and that without consciousness, and it 
can not smell. But all of the other functions— like the 
soul and the intelligence — are only dormant, and very 
soon will awaken into lively activity. The same is true 
of voluntary motion. For the first two or three 
months all motion is automatic and without volition. 
The child moA f es its various members, but only because 
it can not help doing" so. 

A t what age docs a baby usually sit up f 
The ability to lift the head is not often acquired 
before from six weeks to two months, but not until it is 
three or four months old can it support the head 
without assistance. At this age it begins to try to sit 
up, but it is rarely able to do so before six months. 
An infant that can sit alone by the time it is ten 
months old is doing very well. 

When docs a baby generally begin to walk ? 

The age differs widely. A strong, healthy infant 
will often stand upright in the mother's lap and put 
one foot in front of the other as early as six or seven 
months ; by eight months it will begin to creep on 
hands and knees, and by eleven or twelve months will 
stand alone and perhaps walk a few steps without 
assistance. Many children, however, who are perfectly 
health)^, are very slow in learning to Walk, particularly 
if they are expert creepers ; others again never creep, 
but first learn to stand and then to walk. There 
should be no haste in the matter. If the baby is fat 
and heavy, and the bones are not well matured, the 
legs are almost sure to bend under the body's weight if 
allowed to stand or to try and walk, and bow legs will 



DEVELOPMENT. 147 

result. Worse than this, the ankles are liable to turn, 
and ultimately the child will walk on the edge or side 
of the foot. Fifteen to eighteen months is quite early- 
enough for the average child to walk alone, but if it 
can not stand or walk by the time it is two years old 
you may be sure that something is wrong, and a 
physician should be consulted. 

Why docs a child beginning to walk, when it falls, 
always go backward into a sitting position f 

Because the muscles which form the calves of the 
legs and the thigh muscles are naturally stronger and 
better developed than those in front, and so they draw 
the body backward. For the same reason — the unequal 
development of muscles — every child at first walks 
''pigeon toed," and only learns to turn the toes out by 
slow degrees. 

What diseases retard the ability to walk ? 

Any and all diseases may do so. If a child is not 
well nourished it will not walk because it has not 
sufficient strength of muscle to do so. General debility 
or weakness may postpone walking for an indefinite 
time until the muscular strength has been regained. 
The disease called rickets not only keeps the bones 
soft and easily bent, but weakens the muscles so that 
they will not hold the body upright. Scrofulous babies 
are usually fat, but weak in the legs. Paralysis of 
a limb or of certain muscles is also a barrier to walk- 
ing. In the latter case the proper remedy is daily 
massage of the affected muscles, fresh air, and passive 
exercise. If the gait is limpy and the child complains 
of a pain in the knees there is good ground to fear hip- 
joint disease. It is well to remember the fact that girls 
develop more rapidly than boys, and children who 
succeed the first, by imitating their elders in the 



148 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

nursery, learn to walk and talk much earlier than those 
born first. 

Do you think artificial aids to walking useful or ad- 
visable ? 

If you refer to what are called perambulators, I do 
not approve of them, nor of any device to encourage a 
healthy baby to walk. My reason for this opinion 
is that it is always best to leave the development of 
functions and powers to nature, and it is never best to 
force development which is going- on normally without 
such artificial aids. The normal healthy infant walks 
soon after it is able to stand, and it stands as soon as 
its muscles are strong enough to sustain the weight of 
its body. The effect of perambulators is to stimulate 
efforts to premature activity, and by encouraging the 
desire to stand and walk before the bones and muscles 
are properly developed, crooked limbs are almost sure 
to result. Let the child take its time to learn its 
powers in its own way and take its own time for it. In 
case of paralysis or the debility which comes from 
inactivity, then artificial aids may be of utility. The 
average infant needs to be repressed rather than 
encouraged in its ambitions to do like older children 
and adults. 

Is it not best to alloiv a child to develop mentally and 
physically without forcing him in the slightest degree ? 

Most decidedly. It is said, you know, that " the good 
die young." It is all the more true of precocious chil- 
dren. The nervous system of a child is easily over- 
strained, too much blood is brought to the brain, and 
meningitis, chorea, or some other nervous affection is 
liable to result. 

How early does an infant clearly recognize its mother? 

Those who have studied the subject closely and ob- 



DEI ELOPMENT, 141) 

served the mental development of many infants, assert 
that hunger and pain are the only sensations an infant 
experiences prior to three months of age. By the time 
it is a month or six weeks old it may show pleasure by 
smiling, but it does not laugh outright until five or six 
months of age. Smiles before the age of one month 
are probably due to wind on the stomach or belong to 
the class of movements called automatic. At three 
months of age the child begins to show intelligence 
and exercises thought and memory. It enjoys the 
sight of bright objects and is pleased at certain sounds. 
It notices objects and reaches for them. At this time 
it probably is able to distinguish forms sufficiently to 
recognize its mother, especially if she nurses it, and 
will cry to go to her if she is near and food is desired. 
By the time it is six months old it recognizes other 
friends and shows a desire to go to them. 

When should a baby begin to talk f 

Quite early the baby begins to use its voice in mak- 
ing articulate sounds that seem to the fond mother to 
indicate an effort at intelligent utterance. These first 
efforts are, however, delusive so far as intelligence is 
concerned. The cooing sounds which it makes are 
only expressions of comfort and satisfaction, without 
any other definite meaning. The sharp vowels, sound- 
ing like ah, are soon, however, transformed into ma ma 
or pa pa. At the age of eight or ten months intel- 
ligence is sufficiently awakened to imitate a few spoken 
words, and by this time mama and papa are expressed 
with intelligent meaning. The vocabulary, however, 
of an infant under eighteen or twenty months of age 
is exceedingly limited, and many children do not articu- 
late clearly and make sentences before they are two 
years of age or older. 



150 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

At what age can an infant be taught to use a chair 
instead of the diaper ? 

As soon as a child is able to sit up it should be held 
up, after the diaper is removed, over a chamber, at 
regular intervals, say two or three times a day. A little 
later the child should be placed in its chair and left 
there until the bowels move. If this is done at regular 
hours the regularity of the bowels can be quickly in- 
augurated and maintained. In case the bowels are 
constipated, which w r ill never happen if the food is 
right, an enema of warm water, without soap, or a 
glycerine suppository should be used before placing the 
child on the stool. In this way the diaper may be dis- 
pensed with as early as three months of age, or if the 
diaper is used at all it should only be necessary at 
night.* The sooner cleanly habits are taught the child 
the better it is for all concerned, and his education can 
not better begin than in disciplining and controlling 
the natural functions. 

/ am told that the baby loses its first head of hair, 
and I wish to know if that which comes afterward will 
be of the same color and texture ? 

The first hair begins to fall out often as early as the 
end of the first week, and continues to do so for some 
weeks. Sometimes the falling out is so excessive as to 
leave the head quite bald. No anxiety need be felt, 
however, on this account, for new hair will quickly fol- 
low, and usually it is somewhat darker in hue, and if 
very light will continue to darken as the child grows 
older. The eyes also frequently change color after 
birth, sometimes becoming darker and again lighter. 
The rapidity with which the first hair is replaced is 

* One of my lady patients tells me that she has taught her 
children to use the chair when they were not over six weeks old. 



DEVELOPMENT, 151 

variable. It is not an uncommon thing" to see a baby 
five or six months of age with a head quite bald, but 
the new hair will come in time, and at first will be a 
shade or two lighter in color, which will afterward 
darken. Never use a comb or pomatum on a baby's 
head. A sponge, with castile soap and water, is all-suf- 
ficient for cleanliness, and a soft brush is all that is 
needed for the completion of the head toilet. 

Let me ask you, Doctor, about the relative viability of 
the sexes. Is there any special difference between boy 
and girl as to their prospects of 'growing up ? 

Prof. G. T. W. Patrick, of the University of Iowa, 
who has given much attention to vital statistics, says: 
" vSome interesting differences are now clearly made 
out between man and woman in respect to birth, death, 
and disease. Statistics show that about 105 boys are 
born to every 100 girls in Europe and America. The 
proportion in other countries and among civilized races 
is said to be about the same. The greater mortality 
of males, however, begins with birth and continues 
throughout childhood, adolescence, and the greater pro- 
portion of adult years. If, therefore, a count be made 
of boys and girls or men and women at any age after 
the first year, the females are found to be in a consider- 
able excess, and this notwithstanding the decimation 
of women by diseases incidental to the child-bearing 
stage of their lives. These results, formerly attrib- 
uted to accidental causes, are now known to be 
due to the greater natural mortality of males, and 
this is found to be in harmony with another series of 
sexual differences, namely, the greater power of 
women to resist nearly all diseases. Hospital statistics 
show that women are less liable to many forms of dis- 
ease than males." 



152 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

But do these statistics which you have quoted apply to 
me and to my baby f 

If you apply them rightly it may aid you to save your 
boy baby by making- you take better care of him than 
you otherwise would. It has been said, you know, that 
figures can not lie. I think the statement here made 
about the relative stamina or viability of the sexes is 
accurate. It certainly is borne out by my own expe- 
rience. 

Perhaps we do not take as much care of our boy 
babies as we should. We try to toughen them. We 
seek to harden them by exposures which we would 
never think of doing with their sisters. 

The average mother says to herself, " My baby is a 
boy and I must make a man of him. He is of the 
stronger sex. He can endure more than his sister. He 
can endure colder baths and go barefooted when his 
sister can not." But the toughening process often re- 
sults disastrously. The boy takes cold and suffers in 
consequence. In point of fact he can not and does not 
bear exposure any better than she does. The toughen- 
ing process is a mistake. 

But, Doctor, do you not believe in what is called Jiard- 
ening or toughening children ? 

No, I do not, if I understand the purport of your 
question. These are not Spartan days, and Spartan 
discipline would go amiss with our children of to- 
day. Somebody has wittily but truthfully said, " that 
which would be unnatural under a natural state of 
affairs is perfectly natural in the unnatural state in 
which we live." To reverse this statement, and make 
it apply to the present day, it ought to read, that which 
would be perfectly natural, and therefore harmless, with 
a crude or country-bred people, is quite unnatural and 



DEVELOPMENT. 153 

hazardous when applied to children who are enervated 
by civilization. It would lead me into stray paths 
and open up a field of thought altogether too wide for 
this volume to fully discuss questions of this nature; 
but let me say in a general way that the more highly 
cultivated a child is, the more highly refined in its ner- 
vous development, the more careful must be its bring- 
ing up. Delicacy goes hand in hand with culture, and 
by delicacy I mean sensitiveness. 

A newsboy or street gamin, the child of the alley and 
the slums, will stand all sorts of exposure without seri- 
ous consequences, while the child of the avenue would 
succumb to a tithe of the exposure. The former may 
jump into cold water and dress in wet clothes, sleep in 
a draught, on a hard floor without covers, but the high- 
born child, only a few blocks away, would soon be killed 
by similar treatment. Please do not misunderstand me 
and think that the child with a nurse and a silver spoon 
should be coddled and treated like a sensitive plant. 
Far from it. What I wish to impress upon you is the 
fact that there are differences in children, and while 
some children may bear exposure and tough usage, the 
more delicate the child, the more sense and judgment 
must be used in perfecting and developing a hardy con- 
stitution. It can not be done by harsh means in infancy. 
The well-bred infant is always delicate and sensitive to 
harsh measures. To overcome this innate, inborn nat- 
ural delicacy, requires the greatest care and judgment. 
It is quite possible to coddle an infant too much, to dress 
him too warm, and to keep him too much indoors; but 
it is also quite possible to send him outdoors in chill 
air imperfectly clad, and to seriously injure his health 
by a mistaken idea that strength and health are only 
secured by exercise carried to the point of fatigue and 
exposure bordering upon a prolonged chill. It is very 



154 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

difficult to lay down rules for guidance in a matter of 
this kind where babies of different powers of endurance 
are concerned. Xo infant, however strong and robust, 
can stand cold like an adult, and no baby can endure 
the shock of climatic changes as it can later in life. 



CHAPTER III. 

SLEEP. 

" He that sleeps feels not the toothache.''' 

— Cymbeline. 

" Sleep o?i, baby, o?i the floor, 
Tired of all the playing, 
Sleep with smile, the sweeter for 

Thatj'6>w dropped away in ! 
On your curls full roundness stand 

Golden lights serenely — 
One cheek, pushed by the ha fid, 

Folds the dimple inly." 

— E. B. Browning. 

How many hours a day ought a new-born babe to 

sleep ? 

During the first month the baby ought to sleep most 
of the time, only remaining awake long enough to be 
bathed, dressed, and fed. The more natural sleep a 
baby gets the faster it will grow and the stronger it 
will become. Under ordinary circumstances the baby's 
sleep should not be abruptly broken, neither to give it 
food nor to satisfy the curiosity of visiting friends. 
Give the youngster all the sleep it wants. Nature will 
awaken it at such times as food is required. While 
sleeping it is growing, and " Kind Mother Nature " is 
carrying on her processes of development, These 



SLEEP. 155 

processes should not be interfered with. There is no 
danger of the baby sleeping- too much if it is well. 

But suppose it will not sleep, but remains wakeful, 
and is cross and peevish ; do you approve of giving medi- 
eine to produce sleep t 

No, never. If the baby is wakeful and refuses to go 
to sleep you may be sure that something is wrong, and 
before you give any medicine to produce sleep arti- 
ficially you should consult your physician. 

There may be something wrong with the mother's 
milk, so that it fails to satisfy the hunger of the baby. 
Its tongue may be tied so that it can not grasp the 
nipple and so fail to get any nourishment at all, although 
laying at the breast. There may be closure of some of 
the natural passages. Many things are possible which 
only an experienced physician can unravel and relieve. 
But never, under any circumstances, give remedies to 
produce sleep without the advice of some one who 
understands their danger. All soothing syrups, cordials, 
and quieting medicines contain opium in some form, 
and all experienced physicians realize the danger of 
giving these mixtures to babies. I have myself known 
of a number of deaths of infants caused by giving 
patent medicines which were ostentatiously declared 
to contain neither opium nor anything else injurious. 
The young mother should beware of all drugs recom- 
mended by nurses and friends (other than medical), or 
those advertised and sold as proprietary medicines, 
which claim to relieve pain and produce sleep. They 
all contain powerful narcotics which are dangerous and 
treacherous. A nurse who has once administered 
such a drug to a baby without the knowledge of the 
mother should be discharged instantly and without 
ceremony. 



156 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

But such things arc used, are they not, and often with 
impunity ? 

Yes, but only doctors and coroners know to what a 
fatal extent. There are numerous instances on record 
of death being produced in a young infant by a single 
drop of tincture of opium (laudanum), and a few drops 
of paregoric have been known to relieve an infant a 
month old from pain forever. 

Do you advocate the use of a crib from the first, or is it 
better to postpone sleeping alone for a time? 

I think it is decidedly best for the infant to sleep 
alone from the first. Of course there are "circumstances 
which alter cases" — the room may be cold or sufficient 
covering for the baby wanting. In such case the young 
babe should be snuggled up to the warm breast of the 
mother and should sleep there. But under ordinary 
circumstances, with a room suitably warm, and other 
conditions favorable, the babe is far better off in its 
crib or in a "bassinet." 

When the infant is allowed to sleep on the mother's 
breast there is not only a real but a serious danger of 
its being overlaid, and the practice is almost certain to 
inspire the bad habit of sleeping with the mother's 
nipple in its mouth, which is fraught with evil both to 
mother and child. The rest of both is disturbed, and 
the infant's stomach is kept busy all night with inter- 
rupted but pernicious lunches. The least movement 
of one is almost sure to awaken the other. In case it 
escapes the danger of being overlaid, it is still liable to 
be chilled or suffocated as the bedclothes are either 
drawn away from it or sleepily thrown over its head. 

Do you approve of rocking a baby to sleep f 
No, the rocking cradle and rocking chair are both 
injurious. They establish a bad habit which is quite 



SLEEP. 1 5 i 

unnecessary. If correct habits are begun early it is 
easy enough to maintain them. 

A new-born baby ought to be taught to lie quietly 
on a flat bed and not to want unnecessary things. The 
baby's natural wants are few and are easily satisfied 
unless bad habits are cultivated. Being rocked to 
sleep is neither natural nor healthful. It is an acquired 
habit, and the more it is cultivated the more it enslaves 
the mother and encourages other exactions on the part 
of the ruling prince. This is not a mere sentiment, nor 
is it due to any desire to curtail the mother's pleasures 
in ministering to legitimate duties or wants. 

Rocking causes an increased flow of blood to the 
brain, which is just the thing to be avoided, for when 
sleeping soundly the brain is comparatively empty of 
blood. A cool head and warm feet conduce to sleep. 
If an infant is perfectly well it will fall asleep just as 
readily if laid in its cot as if rocked in a cradle or held 
in its nurse's arms and rocked in a chair. Rocking is 
purely artificial, and the less artificial wants the young 
lord has the better for him. If the child is sick or rest- 
less, the mother may take it in her arms and sing to it 
and coddle it, but if the baby is properly trained from 
the beginning, rocking it to sleep will be entirely 
unnecessary. 

How about walking with the baby to induce sleep ? 

This is worse than rocking, for it is much harder on 
the nurse or parent who undertakes to quiet a restless 
babe by this artificial means. 

But explain, if you please, how a restless baby can be 
put to sleep. If not by rocking or walking, or soothing 
syrups, how then ? 

Sometimes a baby is cold, and hence wakeful ; some- 
times hungry or thirstv. Satisfv its legitimate wants, 
11 



158 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

make it comfortable, and if well it will soon drop asleep. 
If not well it needs medicine for its present ailment, 
but never simply for the purpose of putting it to sleep. 

There are many reasons why the child should not lie 
longer than necessary in the bed of the mother. In 
the first place, the mother's bed, during the period of 
her confinement, is not cleanly ; it is more or less con- 
taminated with her secretions and excretions. Then 
there is the constant tendency of the child to nurse too 
often, or to drop off to sleep with the nipple in its 
mouth, which is a very bad habit. Finally, the repose 
of both mother and babe must necessarily be more or 
less disturbed by the proximity. If the mother is 
without help, she may place the baby alongside of her 
bed, in some suitable receptacle, where it is within easy 
reach, but not in the bed with herself. 

Do not forget the hypnotic influence of soft lullabies. 
How many children have been soothed to sleep by that 
old nursery rhyme, " Hush-a-bye, Baby," and by the 
weird little nothings of " Mother Goose Melodies"! 

Unless we are much mistaken, the lullabies of Eugene 
Field, who has been very justly styled "the children's 
poet," are destined to find a welcome home in the new 
nursery, and to some extent, at least, to take the place 
of the time-worn songs of former generations. 

Eugene Field was a personal friend of the writer, 
and it is, therefore, a double pleasure to reproduce here 
one of his most charming nursery rhymes : 

THE SHUT-EYE TRAIN. 

Conic, my little one, with me ! 
There are wondrous sights to see 
As the evening shadows fall ; 
hi your pretty cap and gown 
Don't detain 
The Shut-Eye train — 



SLEEP. 169 

' Ting-ailing!" the bell it gocth, 
' Toot-toot .' " the whistle bloweth, 
And we hoar the warning call : 
"All aboard for Shut- Eye Town!" 

Over hill and over plain 

Soon will speed the Shut-Eye train ! 

Through the blue where bloom the stars 
And the Mother Moon looks down 
We'll away 
To land of Fay — 
O, the sights that we shall see there ! 
Come, my little one, with me there — 
' Tis a goodly train of cars — 
All aboard for Shut-Eye Town ! 

Swifter than a wild bird's flight 
Through the realms of fleecy light 
We shall speed and speed away ! 
Let the Night in envy frown — 
What care we 
How wroth she be ! 
To the Balow-land above us, 
To the B alow-folk who love us, 
Let us hasten while we may — 
All aboard for Shut-Eye Town ! 

Shut-Eye Town is passing fair — 
Golden dreams await us there ; 

We shall dream those dreams, my dear, 
Till the Mother Moon goes down — 
See uiifold 
Delights tint old 7 
And in those mysterious places 
We shall see beloved faces 
And beloved voices hear 

In the srrace of Shut-Eye Town. 

Heavy are your eyes, my sweet, 
Weary are your little feet — 
Nestle closer up to me 
In your pretty cap and gown ; 



1G0 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Don't detain 
The Shut -Eye train ! 
l> Ting-a-ling .'" the bell it goeth, 
"Toot-toot .'" the whistle bloweth. 
O, the sights that we shall see ! 
All aboard for Shut -Eye Town ! 

Bid, pardon me, suppose the baby will not go to sleep? 

My dear madam, pardon me in turn if I say that a 
baby under a year old has no "will." If you expect 
your child to have good habits when grown up, you 
must begin to educate it early — as soon as you are 
able to assume the responsibilities of motherhood. If 
you are lax and loose about the baby's habits, it will 
soon appreciate the fact and you will regret it later. 
Sleep, perhaps, as much or more than any other item 
of nursery regime, depends on habit and mild but 
decided purpose. A lack of firmness in the early 
months of the baby's life may not only render its early 
years a burden to itself, but an annoyance, if not a 
nuisance, to the entire household. 

But a baby's habits, if easily formed, are easily 
corrected if not right f 

Do you not remember w T hat Ovid says : 

"III habits gather by unseen degrees, 

As brooks make rivers, rivers rmi to seas." 

You will find, my dear madam, that it is very much 
easier to avoid the formation of bad habits than to 
correct them after they have once been formed. An 
infant is as plastic as moist clay. You can mold it to 
your will. But you must have a will and a purpose 
and a plan, and make your judgment and your duty 
lazu. 

What is a " bassinet "? 

The bassinet, as usually made, consists of a willow 



SLEEP. 



161 



basket with high sides, with a hood or cover over one 
enri It shou'ld stand up from the floor so as to avoid 
it should be light and easily portable, so as 
to be readily moved from place to place or from room 
to room. It should be lined and may be trimmed 
or decorated according to the mother's taste and 
pleasure. 




Fig. 9. 

I will suggest, however, that the simpler and less 
expensive the better, so that the coverings may hr 
changed as often as dusty or soiled. For the first f 
months, then, let the baby sleep in the bassinet, wlr . 



162 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

should be veil sheltered from draughts and protected, 
if necessary, by portable screens. 

But, Doctor, titer e seems to be so much comfort in a 
rocking cradle, and it is so time-honored as a nursery 
adjunct, that it seems almost cruel to dispense with it. Is 
the use of a cradle considered injurious f 

Oh, no, not injurious, but simply unnecessary. A baby 
who has never slept in a cradle does not miss it. As 
Shakespeare hath it: 

"He that is robbed, not knowing what is stolen, 
Let him not know it and he's not robbed at all." 

Educate the baby to go to sleep without extraneous 
aids and the tired mother or patient nurse will be freed 
of one more nursery duty which is prone to become 
arduous if not unbearable. 

/ infer that you do not approve of the old-fashioned 
trundle bed? 

No, I do not, because it brings the sleeper too near 
the floor, where the draughts are always more marked, 
and consequently more dangerous. 

What sort of crib do you advise ? 

It should be preferably of iron or brass, and should 
have sides which let down or slide. The sides should 
be high enough to protect the infant from falling over 
as it learns to climb about. There should be no cur- 
tains to the crib, for they only collect dust and dirt and 
prevent free circulation of air about the sleeper. 

What are the proper furnishings for the crib ? 

First, a woven wire mattress and over this a thin hair 
mattress. This latter should be protected by a rubber 
"loth, and over this again a doubled sheet. To increase 

e softness and warmth a piece of quilt may be placed 
jove the rubber cover. This is especially desirable in 



^ 



SLEEP. 163 

winter. The pillow should be small and of curled hair, 
in order that the head may be kept cool. The bed 
coverings should be light but warm. These consist of 
a sheet, as many soft coverings of blankets as may be 
necessary for due warmth, and a light spread as delicate 
and dainty as one pleases. Muslin is preferable to linen 
for sheets, as it is not so cold. For the pillow cases, 
linen is probably better than muslin. The rubber 
cloth which I have just mentioned must be kept 
scrupulously clean and dry and must be frequently 
aired. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of 
having all of the crib belongings kept clean by constant 
changes and thorough airing. The mattress as well as 
the sheets should be aired daily, and, when possible, 
exposed to the rays of the sun. If the sleeping 
apartment is not kept warmer than necessary, it 
is well to warm the baby's sheets before it is put 
in bed, as it can not be too frequently repeated 
that an infant's body is very easily chilled, and a child 
will go to sleep more quickly if, after being divested 
of its day clothing, it is wrapped up in a cozy and 
warm bed. 

Is there any device which will keep a growing and 
restless child from kicking the clothes off at night ? 

There are many devices of this kind, the simplest of 
which is the use of large-sized safety pins. But this is 
not at all times convenient, and at best binds the child 
down in an uncomfortable manner. The sheets may 
be tied to the crib by rubber or elastic bands. The 
same object, however, can be secured, and in a more 
satisfactory manner, by the use of night-drawers that 
envelop the feet as well as the legs. For young 
infants just learning the art of kicking, a simple bag 
with arms will answer a good purpose. 



1C4 ALL ABOCT THE BABY. 

Have you any other suggestions to offer concerning the 
matter of sleep ? 

I should like very much to impress upon you the 
necessity of regularity in both the hour of retiring at 
night and the nap in the daytime. It is an old saying, 
but truthful as it is old, " As the twig is bent the tree's 
inclined"; and again, " Train up a child in the way he 
should go, and when he is old," etc. If you expect 
your child to be systematic and methodical when 
grown if }^ou wish him to be fat, and strong, and well 
in boyhood, you "must insist upon regularity in his 
nursery life from day to day. A child that is put to 
bed at a certain hour every day and every night will 
quickly fall into the habit of sleeping regularly and 
soundly; but if allowed to deviate from rules and sleep 
at odd times, he will surely be whimsical, fretty, and on 
occasion it will be next to impossible to get him asleep. 
Let nothing — neither visitors, duties, nor a temporary 
conflict of authority — interfere with the daily routine 
of the baby's life. He needs much sleep, and he can 
only get it by methodical training. At first, the young 
infant sleeps nearly all the time. After a couple of 
months, it will often lie awake for an hour or so at a 
time. At a year old it should still have from fifteen to 
sixteen hours' sleep daily. At two or three years old 
it should have, to be hearty and grow, twelve to four- 
teen hours' sleep; and from this time on, all through 
its childhood, it should have from nine to twelve hours. 
If the baby is fretful and will not sleep, be sure there 
is something the matter with it, for insomnia in infants 
is contrary to nature. 

What sliould be the temperature of the apartment in 
which the baby sleeps ? 

The temperature of the sleeping apartment should 



SLEEP. 1U5 

be as nearly as possible 6o° F. If warmer than this, 
the child's sleep will be restless and broken. There is 
less danger in a temperature which is too cold than in 
one which is too warm. Overwarmth produces perspi- 
ration and invites draughts, which are liable to chill 
the surface and give one cold. Besides, it is easy in a 
cold room to keep the body warm with additional cov- 
ers, while it is not so easy to regulate the covers in a 
room which is overheated. Although the room should 
be comfortably warm during the sleeping hours, it 
should be, from time to time, properly ventilated. An 
unventilated room soon becomes foul and unhealthy. 
Both children and adults are often unconsciously poi- 
soned with their own breaths. 

Should the sleeping-room be dimly lighted, or kept 
quite dark ? 

The night nursery should never be without a light 
which can be quickly turned up in case of emergency. 
Except when needed, however, the light should be 
quite dim. An infant should not be allowed to look at 
the glare, either of a fire or other light, as the glare 
tends to weaken the sight, and may bring on inflam- 
mation of the eyes. In speaking to or noticing a baby, 
the speaker ought always to stand before and not behind 
him, as it may produce a squint. 

While the infant is asleep do you advise the head of 
the crib to be covered with a handkerchief, or otherzvise to 
shade the eyes from the light, and in summer time to 
keep off the flies ? 

No ; this practice is very pernicious. If the head of 
the crib or the face of the babe be covered ever so 
lightly, the babe can not breathe freely ; the air within 
the crib becomes contaminated, and then the lungs 
can not properly perform their functions. If his sleep 



166 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

is to be sound and refreshing, he must breathe pure 
air. All hangings about a child's bed are objectionable. 
I have seen it stated that if a cage containing a canary 
be suspended at night within a curtained bed where a 
person is sleeping, the bird will, in all probability, be 
found dead in the morning. If flies are troublesome, 
a coarse net veil may be thrown loosely over the face, 
for he can breathe through the net, but not through a 
handkerchief. 

Is it a good sign for a young child to sleep nut eh ? 

Good sleepers are always more plump, less fretful, 
and more robust than those who sleep but little and 
fitfully. During sleep the system is building up, and 
repair of tissue is going on with comparatively little 
waste. I have frequently known infants that were 
very small and delicate when born, but who slept the 
greater part of the time, to grow strong and robust ; 
and I have known others who were large and appar- 
ently much stronger at first, to become puny and weak 
and unhealthy, because they slept so poorly. 

Do yon approve of permitting the baby to go to sleep 
on the nurse's lap f 

No, the practice is a bad one and should not be 
countenanced. A babe will sleep much better and be 
cooler and more comfortable in his crib. The younger 
the child the more it ought to sleep. During the first 
few weeks he is seldom awake, and then only to take 
the breast, when he should go off to sleep again if 
well and fully satisfied with his food. 

Should a baby be eneonraged to sleep in the open air ? 

No. The object in taking the infant out of doors is 
to give him fresh air and exercise and develop his 
powers of perception. He should be wide awake when 



SLEEP. 167 

taking- his outing, and as soon as he goes to sleep he 
should be taken indoors again. Everybody, regardless 
of age, is more susceptible to atmospheric changes 
when sleeping- than when wide awake. In our climate 
these changes are often sudden and sometimes severe. 
There is another reason why the baby should be 
encouraged to keep awake when out in its carriage. 
Sleep is contagious. Unless the nursemaid is excep- 
tionally conscientious, she will fall into the habit of 
carelessness and forgetfulness if the baby slumbers 
during its outing. 

J I Via t is the best time for the baby to take its daily 
outing f 

Directly after its morning nap, the weather being 
suitable. After the morning bath it should be nursed 
and put into its crib for a long nap, after which it may 
go out for an hour, more or less. If the weather neces- 
sitates a postponement of the outing, let the postpone- 
ment hold until after the second or subsequent nap. 
In this way the infant will be more apt to keep aAvake 
and will enjoy its ride and the fresh air much more 
than if taken out when tired and sleepy. 

But is there no danger from the baby's breathing the 
cold air f 

Xot if the air is still and dry. You should avoid 
sending the infant out when the wind is strong, and 
more particularly if it is damp as well as cold and windy. 
If the bodies of babies are kept thoroughly warm 
there is no risk of their catching cold from inspiring 
cold air. Healthy children naturally breathe through 
the nose, keeping the mouth shut, and then cold air is 
warmed by contact with the interior of the nose before 
it reaches the more sensitive linings of the throat and 
bronchial tubes. Even in midwinter a strong and 



168 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

healthy baby can be safely taken out of doors after it 
has reached the age of a month or six weeks, if the 
sky is bright and clear and free from cold, damp winds. 
It is well, however, to first accustom the baby to 
changes of temperature by taking it from one room to 
another, and to continue this practice on bleak days 
when it is unsuitable for it to go out of doors. After 
the first few weeks, if the outdoor weather is bad, the 
baby may be wrapped up as if going out, and carried 
about or, still better, wheeled about in its perambulator, 
with the windows of nursery or hallway wide opened. 

How long is it best to permit the baby to be out of 
doors during its first outing ? 

This will depend on the age and health of the baby 
and also on the temperature and humidity of the air. 
You must bear in mind that it is much more the dura- 
tion of exposure to cold than its intensity which is likely 
to injure a young infant. The more weakly and deli- 
cate the infant, the less resistance it has against the 
effects of cold. Even with the healthiest infants this 
resistance has its limits, and care must be exercised not 
to transcend them. A short exposure is stimulating 
and beneficial in its effects, while prolonged exposure is 
followed by depression, chilliness, and a tendency to 
catarrh of the bronchial t.ibes or of the stomach and 
bowels. When due regard is paid to the maintenance 
of warmth, nothing is more healthful for young chil- 
dren than regular exposure to the open air. The appe- 
tite is increased, the color of the skin is heightened, 
more rapid progress is made in growth, and the sleep 
at night is more restful and satisfactory. But the 
effects of cold air must be watched by the mother or 
nurse when out of doors, and it should be taken in when- 
ever the hands or feet are felt to be the least chilly. 



SLEEP. 169 

At what age should night feeding cease f 

If the baby is well and growing satisfactorily, it is 
well to encourage an all-night's sleep by withholding 
the breast after the fourth or fifth month. 

Should a child be allowed to sleep at the mother s 
breast, or to sleep with the nipple of the nursing bottle 
in its mouth ? 

No. Such a habit is very wrong, although some nurses 
are obstinately given to this practice. The sleep which 
an infant gets under these circumstances is far from 
being restful, for the presence of the nipple in its 
mouth keeps up a semi-consciousness which is not 
sound slumber. As soon as the child is fairly asleep 
the nipple should be removed from its mouth. In other 
words it should be kept awake until its meal is finished 
and then removed from contact with either breast or 
bottle. 

Should a child be sent out daily, regardless of the 
weather ? 

No ; if it is rainy or damp, as well as cold, especially 
if the wind is from the east or northeast, you had 
better keep the baby indoors. Cold, dry weather is not 
objectionable. Wrap him up well and send him out. 
The cold will brace and strengthen him. Cold air is 
the finest tonic in the world. It is full of ozone and 
free from dust and effluvia. Of course if the child is 
ill, especially with any throat or lung trouble, it may be 
unwise to send him out in all weathers. Consult your 
physician under such circumstances and be guided by 
his judgment. 

Have you any other suggestions to make about the mat- 
ter of sleeping ? 

Let me suggest to you that the baby's sleep be suf- 



170 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

ficiently respected as not to be disturbed, either in the 
daytime or nighttime, by loud talking or unnecessary 
noises in the nursery. Let perfect quiet be maintained 
and let the baby sleep until it awakens naturally and of 
its own accord. No rigid rules should be laid down as 
to the number of hours or minutes that the baby or 
child should sleep before being awakened. Let it 
sleep all it will. 

If you desire your child to be an early riser, see that 
its night's repose is started early. "Early to bed" is 
the first and most important part of the old and most 
wholesome injunction, "early to rise." Late hours at 
night always mean, or should mean, late hours in ris- 
ing. Nature demands so much rest for every child, 
and it is the sheerest folly to allow children to sit up 
for their own or others' amusement until 10 or n o'clock 
at night, and then insist that they should rise at 5, 6, 
or 7 o'clock in the morning. 

Another matter is apropos, and of great importance. 
Never let an infant or child sleep in an apartment 
where there is a person ill at the time, if it is pos- 
sible to avoid doing so. All sicknesses, even those 
which are not regarded as contagious, are sure to fill 
the sick-room with emanations which are more or less 
unwholesome. Sleeping in the same room with one 
who has catarrh or a chronic cough is especially to be 
avoided. No amount of care in ventilating the room 
can entirely obviate the danger. 

Let me make one other suggestion. The sleep of 
the child will be much more restful, and much unnec- 
essary labor can be avoided, if, as soon as the child is 
old enough to use its chair, it is encouraged to empty 
its bladder before lying down to sleep. Immediately 
after nursing, and just before being put into the crib, 
it should be placed on the chair and allowed to remain 



SLEEP. 171 

there for & few minutes. In case this precaution is 
unavailing, and the sheets become soiled, it matters 
not if it be in the middle of the night, the sheets 
should be changed, and the infant replaced in a warm, 
dry bed. 

Does thirst ever keep a baby from sleeping? 

More easily than it would cause you yourself to be 
restless. Did you ever suffer from thirst, and dream 
about water which was just beyond your reach ? Such 
a thing is quite possible. You may depend upon it, if 
a child does not sleep, it is either sick or wants some- 
thing which may be classified among the demands of 
nature. An unsatisfied desire is a very common cause 
of lack of rest, and in infants it is more often than 
otherwise attributed to hunger, when the real cause is 
thirst. In such cases the remedy is obvious. During 
teething, when the mouth and gums are hot and fever- 
ish, it is a good plan to give the baby, occasionally, bits 
of powdered ice, or to wrap a small piece of ice in linen, 
and let him suck it. 

SLEEPLESSNESS. 

What causes, other than sickness, tend to make a child 
restless or sleepless ? 

While a child is teething, there are certain mechan- 
ical disturbances, such as pressure of the coming tooth 
on the nerve beneath, and in children of a highly 
nervous organization we are very apt to have disorders 
of digestion, malnutrition, and brain excitement, which 
result in sleeplessness, and perhaps convulsions. 

Another cause of sleeplessness not at all due to 
disease is produced by excitement just before being put 
to bed, especially after it has had its last bottle or been 
fresh fed. Our city babies are of an excitable tempera- 
ment, and, as a rule, do not get enough fresh air and 



172 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

sunshine. The result is that fatigue, which should 
naturally invite prolonged and peaceful sleep, is accom- 
panied by a degree of excitement which prevents this. 
After taking the breast, or its bottle, or bowl of food, 
there is a feeling of drowsiness, which will soon, if not 
disturbed, result in sleep, but if this tendency is once 
disturbed it will, in most cases, cause a wakeful night. 
To the father who has been at his desk or shop all day, 
the temptation to have a romp with the baby before it 
goes to sleep for the night is well-nigh irresistible, but 
in the interest of the baby it must be resisted. The 
excitement of playing just after its last meal, and just 
before its regular sleeping time, is sure to produce 
wakefulness and an excitement of the brain which may 
take hours to overcome. In children a year old or over, 
sleeplessness from no apparent cause may be relieved 
by a hot foot-bath. At any age if the infant is habitu- 
ally wakeful I would suggest a substitute of the sponge 
bath for the full morning ablution and a warm foot- 
bath at bedtime. 

Still another cause of wakefulness in an infant is 
hunger. It matters not if the child be breast-fed or 
bottle-fed, it frequently happens that in spite of appear- 
ances the food is insufficient in quantity or wrong in 
quality, so that it fails to meet the full requirements of 
nutrition. I have frequently found this to be the case 
in spite of the mother's protest that her supply of milk 
was abundant, and that, to all appearances, it was of 
standard quality. If a child is losing weight or at a 
stand-still, and if there be no other obvious cause for its 
wakefulness, it is in all probability due to the character 
or quality of the food. If the infant is being suckled, 
try a bottle of food as warm as the child can take it, 
consisting of Mellin's Food and water, the proportions 
being a tablespoonful of the food and hot water and 



BOWELS. 173 

milk enough to fill the bottle. This is far better and 
more effectual than bromides or any other hypnotics. 

The young mother must remember, or at least she 
should know, that as soon as her menstrual periods are 
resumed she begins to lose her milk. Its bulk may re- 
main the same, but it will lose in richness and quality, 
and hence it will fail to satisfy the growing" boy or girl. 
Children who are bottle-fed are often underfed, and are 
put to bed hungry and unsatisfied because the food is 
no stronger and supporting than it was in the early 
months when the demands of the system were far less 
than now. As the child grows older its food should be 
made stronger. More milk should be added to all the 
cereal baby foods, and if condensed milk is used it 
should be changed in its proportions of water, or it may 
be that more cream is needed to give it the proper pro- 
portions to meet the wants of the emaciated tissues. 

Is it not possible that the other extreme may obtain in 
some cases, and that a baby may be restless from over- 
feeding as well as from under-feeding ? 

I think the latter condition is found quite as fre- 
quently, if not more so than the former. Regularity in 
feeding, and putting the child to bed at exactly the 
same time every day and evening, will very soon 
establish the habit of regular sleep. 

BOWELS. 

Is it necessary to make a baby's bowels move a few 
hours after birth, if they do not do so naturally, and if 
so, what are the best means to use ? 

Nearly always the bowels move spontaneously after 

the baby has been put to the breast for the first time, 

which should be soon after the first bath and the 

mother has had a few hours' rest. In case they do not 
12 



174 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

move during 1 the first twelve hours, use a glycerine sup- 
pository or a suppository improvised out of a piece of 
castile soap. The soap suppository should be of the 
size of an ordinary lead pencil, and about an inch long, 
tapering at one end. This should be gently inserted 
into the rectum and a stool will soon follow. An enema 
of plain warm water without soap will answer the same 
purpose. Never give the baby castor oil or any other 
laxative in early life. It is not only unnecessary, but 
productive of much harm — the least of which is the 
commencement of a very reprehensible habit. Keep 
the baby's stomach for food and drink and avoid giving 
medicines internally as much as possible. As Robert 
Collyer has said : 

"Let kind Mother Nature buckle /us belt,'" 
Which is to say, interfere as little as possible with the 
natural functions and never give medicines unless they 
are actually needed. 

But, Doctor, my nurse, who seems to have had a very 
large experience with newly bom babies, says that castor 
oil is absolutely necessary to cleanse the bowels and free 
them from foul matters ? 

I am well aware that old nurses and some physicians 
are still in the habit of using the old custom, but it has 
nothing but age and tradition to recommend it. The 
first secretion in the maternal breast is in itself a 
laxative and intended by nature for just this purpose. 
It is usually all-sufficient and nothing else is required. 

This subject will be referred to again when treating 
of nursing. 

BATHING. 

T wish you would tell me when and how the baby's 
first bath should be given ? 

The initial bath may be given at any time, the sooner 



BATH IXC. 175 

the better, after the mother has been made comfort- 
able and the nurse in charge has leisure to turn her 
attentions to the newcomer. The first bath differs 
essentially from that which the infant will ordinarily 
receive, and hence requires special directions as to the 
proper procedure. It has a special object in view which 
will not obtain later. Besides the amniotic fluid in which 
the unborn babe has been immersed, there are other 
substances, one of which is easily wiped off when the 
baby is first born. This is a cheesy and tenacious sub- 
stance, called the vcruix cascosa, adhering to the body, 
and which warm water will not remove. It is softened 
and removed most easily hy the free use of warm olive 
oil, a bottle of which should be provided when making- 
preparations for the baby's advent. No water at all 
should be used in this first toilet, except for the face, 
eyes, and mouth. These parts should be carefully 
washed with soft, warm water into which a dash of 
powdered borax or boracic acid has been put. Care 
must be taken that the eyelids, the nostrils, and the 
inside of the mouth are adequately cleansed and 
properly dried. The general oil-bath follows. The 
body, head, arms, legs, etc., should be rubbed over well 
with the warm oil, care being taken to invade the 
groins, the armpits, and the cleft between the nates, 
where this white, cheesy substance is apt to be most 
abundant. If this "anointing with oil " is cleverly and 
efficiently done, a soft cloth quickly following will 
wipe off the oil and the " vernix caseosa," and leave 
the infant's skin soft as velvet. 

Next comes the dressing of the cord, and first atten- 
tion should be given to the tying, in order to make sure 
that it has been properly done. If there is any oozing 
of blood from the stub end, it should be re tied, but if 
all is well the cord should be dressed in the simplest 



176 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

manner possible. Be sure, however, that everything 
which touches the cord is clean. The old-fashioned 
way of dressing the cord with burnt linen was the 
outcome of experience with soiled linen, and was an 
attempt to cleanse the linen by scorching. Better than 
this is new absorbent cotton — if borated the better. If 
this has not been provided, use a piece of soft old linen, 
about three or four inches square, dusted over with 
borax or boric acid. Wrap the cord in one or the other 
of these wraps, and then, using the binder, turn up the 
enwrapped cord toward the baby's face and to the left 
side. The flannel binder should be loose rather than 
tight, but sufficiently tight to keep the dressing in place. 
This dressing should not be disturbed until the cord is 
ready to drop off, which will be in from five to ten 
days. No grease must be used in the naval dressing. 
When the cord falls off, if there is any hemorrhage at 
the place of detachment a physician should be sum- 
moned at once, as dangerous loss of blood may ensue. 
While this is a very rare accident, it has occasionally 
happened. If no doctor is at hand, wet a bit of cotton 
in vinegar and lay it over the bleeding surface and bind 
it down with the binder, placing a one-cent piece under- 
neath it. While this toilet is being perfected the nurse 
will have time and opportunity to see if there be any 
imperfections in the formation of the little stranger. 
She will ascertain whether it is perfectly formed; 
whether the natural orifices of the body are as they 
should be. An experienced or well-taught nurse should 
be able after the first bath is over to assure the mother 
that the baby is perfectly formed, or if she discovers 
any imperfection she must use her discretion about 
informing the mother as to its nature and extent. In 
case of any flaw or imperfection which the doctor has 
not been made aware of before his departure, he should 



BATHING. L77 

be recalled or his attention called to it at his next visit. 
An experienced nurse will not be alarmed at a seeming 
distorture of the head or at a puffy tumor on the vertex. 
The long-drawn-out shape of the head immediately 
after birth is due to the fact that the bones of the skull 
are not solidly united in a baby born at full time, but 
are connected by membranes, so that in the transit of 
the baby's head through the parturient canal it can 
mold itself to the diameters and curves of the pelvis 
and make an exit without damage to the mother. It 
sometimes requires two or three weeks for the head to 
acquire the natural roundness and shape, which it will 
eventually do. No attempt should be made to press it 
into shape, as nurses are quite prone to do. In case of 
the tumor I have referred to, it requires no treatment. 
After a few days, often after a few hours, the tumor 
disappears. 

These preliminaries having been gone through with, 
the baby is dressed and should be placed in its crib, if 
the mother is resting, or, if she is desirous, the baby 
may now be placed in her arms and be allowed to par- 
take of its first meal. This first meal is at once the 
best and the poorest the new mother will offer her babe. 
The colostrum, which 'is the name given to the first 
secretion of the breast, is in no sense food, but is just 
what the infant needs as a cathartic. Very soon after 
the babe has taken its first dinner it ought to have a 
discharge from the bowels, which is called meconium. 
This is a mixture of the products of intra-uterine diges- 
tion, bile from the liver, and epithelium from the lining 
membrane of the entire digestive canal. Its dark color 
is largely due to bile, which hitherto has had no outlet. 
The effect of this first secretion of the mother's breast 
entirely obviates the necessity of giving the baby a dose 
of castor oil, as used to be the custom. If the infant be 



178 AL L A B O L r T THE BA B \ \ 

not an exception to the rule, it will get all the dosing 
later on, consistent with happiness and longevity. The 
baby being washed, dressed, and fed, the next thing is 
a sleep, not a nap, but a long, quiet sleep. 

Well, Doctor, I think I understand most clearly about 
this first or initial bath, but zvill you kindly tell me 
about subsequent baths? How often should they be 
given and by whom ? 

While the mother is ill, the nurse should attend to 
the bathing and dressing of the child. After the 
monthly nurse is gone, it will be the duty of the 
mother or of the nursemaid, the former by prefer- 
ence, the latter only if she be exceptionally careful and 
experienced. 

In either case all preparations for the bath should be 
made before touching the baby.- These preparations 
are as follows : 

First, the bath-tub should be light and easily portable, 
and is best constructed of block tin, oblong in shape, 
and should be painted white or enameled within. It 
may be placed on the floor or, still more conveniently, 
on a low table or kitchen chair, the legs of which have 
been shortened so as to bring the bottom of the tub 
eighteen or twenty inches above the floor. Under- 
neath the tub apiece of oilcloth or linoleum should be 
spread. A wash-cloth of soft flannel, a piece of white 
castile soap, and two soft towels are also necessary. 
The mother or nurse should, be provided with a long 
flannel apron to protect herself with, and in which she 
can wrap the baby when first taken from the water. 
The next essential requisite for the bath is a bath ther- 
mometer for determining the temperature of the water. 
It is impossible for one to guess at the heat of the water 
with accuracy, and a variation of a few degrees may 



BATHING. 179 

make a vast difference in the comfort and in the effect 
of a bath. 

What do you consider the best temperature for a 
healthy baby's daily bath ? 

Ninety-five to 98 in winter and 90 to 95° in summer. 
As the blood stands at a uniform temperature of ioo° F. 
at all seasons of the year, the temperature of the bath 
should be a little below that of the blood in order to 
be refreshing without any danger of chilling the sur- 
face. Accuracy in this matter is very necessary. The 
tin of the bath-tub abstracts the heat of the water very 
rapidly and holds it so that unless care is taken the 
hand or body of the infant coming in contact with it 
may be easily burned. The thermometer should be 
allowed to remain in the tub for several minutes until 
the exact degree of heat is registered. 

What soap do you regard the best ? 

Cheap toilet soaps — especially cheap transparent 
soaps — should be studiously avoided, as they contain an 
excess of free alkali, which reddens and smarts the skin. 
Glycerine soaps are of a special purity and can generally 
be relied upon. In our judgment, however, there is 
no better soap for the baby's bath than the " Ivory Soap," 
which is made of vegetable oils and contains no free 
alkali. It is not irritable to the skin and is preferable 
to the spurious castile soaps so generally used for this 
purpose. A prominent physician of this city says no 
soap should be used while the baby is young. He 
takes the extreme ground that all soaps are hurtful 
and there is no doubt but that in the main he is right. 
He further says : " I now advise the use of water with- 
out soap. Since abandoning the use of soap, excoria- 
tions are, in my experience, a thing of the past. You 
can make a baby perfectly clean with pure water, and 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

the skin will be as soft as velvet. There is an oily, 
sebaceous nourishment to the skin from within, render- 
ing it soft, pliable, and beautiful, and this the lye of 
the soap seeks out, leaving the skin dry and hard. 
Pure warm water will remove the dirt without disturb- 
ing this natural dressine." 



I am well aware of the fact that many physicians and 
many excellent nurses think that daily full baths rather 
a fad than otherwise. I have heard doctors say more 
than once that they had known babies to be " washed 
into heaven." But I have myself never known such a 
case. I fancy that this prejudice against the daily 
bath is due to the practice which obtains largely in 
England, and to some extent in this country, among 
rigorous and inflexible mothers and nurses, of plunging 
the delicate infant into cold water or giving it a cold 
shower bath as soon as it can stand alone. To me, as 
to others, this seems barbarous, and is at least indefen- 
sible from a sanitary standpoint. The full warm bath 
is equally objectionable if practiced daily. It is admis- 
sible, perhaps, once, or at most twice, weekly, and 
should, with a robust infant, be followed by cold spong- 
ing. As a rule the immersion should not be more than 
a hip bath, extending the application to other portions 
of the body by a wash-cloth, always finishing by rapid, 
cool applications (if possible before an open fire) and 
speedy drying. In order to get a better understanding 
of the matter, let us argue the question for a moment. 
Let us look at the matter intelligently and in the 
light of physiology. The skin is composed largely of 
an innumerable number of pores, which are the orifices 
of glands within the true skin, and which empty onto 
its surface a large amount of waste material daily, 



BATHING. 181 

hourly, constantly. This waste matter passes out of 
the body through the skin in the form of insensible 
perspiration. In an adult from one to two and one-half 
pints of fluid containing effete or deleterious matter in 
solution pass through the glands of the skin every 
twenty-four hours. According to Doctor Carpenter 
there are no less than seven million of these glands on 
the surface of the body of an adult of ordinary size, 
and he also estimates that these glands, if placed end 
to end, would cover a distance of nearly twenty-eight 
miles. In the child there is naturally a smaller 
number of glands, but proportionately to its size 
the skin of a child excretes more fluid than that of 
an adult. 

Furthermore, it is a well established fact in physi- 
ology that the skin is one of the great cleansers of 
the body. We both inhale and exhale by the skin as 
well as by the lungs. Many people suppose that the 
kidneys and the bowels are the principal organs of 
elimination, but this is a mistake. In order that the 
body may be kept in health, the skin, as well as the 
lungs, the kidneys, and the bowels, must be in a state 
of activity. When all these organs are in health, the 
blood is kept pure, because by their combined activity 
the refuse, worn-out, poisonous elements are elimi- 
nated. But if there is a stoppage, a failure anywhere 
along the line — if any one of these organs fails to per- 
form its duty — there is trouble. The blood is gradu- 
ally but surely poisoned, and sickness or death is the 
result. 

When Doctor Presnitz, the founder of the water-cure 
system of treating diseases, was at the zenith of his 
fame — and he made many famous cures by eausing his 
patients to wash themselves — Tom Hood made fun of 
the system by writing the following : 



182 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

" Disease is dirt : all pain the patient feels 
Is but the soiling of the vital wheels. 
To wash away the particles impure 
And cleanse the patient, plainly is to cure." 

But Hood, in his humorous way, spoke more truth 
than he was aware of. It is becoming more and more 
certain that disease is dirt, and cleansing away the 
u particles impure" is often equivalent to effecting a 
cure. Water is one of the best remedies in the world, 
as we shall see when we come to speak of medicinal 
baths. Just now we are discussing the importance of 
keeping the skin clean, and thus avoiding disease. 

There is another reason for the daily bath in infancy 
which is not without weight in this consideration. It 
early establishes a pleasant and healthful habit which 
will continue all through life. Children who are 
neglected in this respect during early childhood will 
seldom acquire the habit of daily bathing, which is so 
essential to health and longevity, after reaching 
maturity. 

Do not some babies take more kindly than others to the 
daily ablution ? 

There is no good reason why this should be so. 
Sometimes an infant is frightened by a rude or careless 
nurse, who plunges the baby into the water as if she 
intended to drown it. This, of course, even if acci- 
dental, is remembered, and the babe will thereafter be 
fearful of a repetition of its experience, and it will be 
difficult to get him into the water again. Doctor Starr 
has cunningly suggested a means of overcoming a 
repugnance to the bath by covering the tub with a 
blanket, upon which the child may be placed, and gently 
lowered into the water without seeing anything to 
excite its fear. A babe will rarely be frightened or fail 
to enjoy its bath if a little art is used in the beginning. 



BA THING. 183 

If the infant seems timid, put your cheek against its 
face; talk in soothing tones to it; bathe quickly, and 
do not splash the water so as to make a noise. 

How long- should a healthy baby remain in the full 
bath ? 

Not over three to five minutes. Then the child 
should be lifted from the tub, and be well and quickly 
dried — not by rubbing with the towel in a harsh or 
brusque manner, but by a sopping motion that takes 
up the moisture by absorption. In this drying process 
care must be taken to thoroughly dry those portions of 
the body where the natural folds of the body form 
crevices in which moisture may be retained. Such 
moisture may produce chafing and result in excoriations. 
The nose, the ears, and, indeed, all of the natural 
orifices, should receive due attention, and be thor- 
oughly dried before the baby is redressed. 

Do you approve of using powder after the bath, and 
if so, w hat is, best ? 

If proper care is used after the bath, and all moisture 
is removed from the surface of the body, there is no 
advantage in using a baby powder. Indeed, the skin 
can be kept cleaner and healthier without it. When a 
careless nurse has allowed a baby's skin to become 
excoriated, or when some disorder of the skin seems to 
demand its employment, it is better to consult a physi- 
cian, for there is no one baby powder that is suitable 
for all cases. Lycopodium powder, which is kept by 
all druggists, is sometimes very useful, and sometimes 
powdered starch or " Lubin's " powder may be admis- 
sible. A simple but very serviceable powder-bag may 
be made of fine cashmere, filled with ordinary corn 
starch or very finely sifted oatmeal. Usually, however, 



184 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

cold cream or vaseline is all that is necessary over the 
excoriated parts. 

Before dressing, it is well to spend a few minutes in 
rubbing the surface of the body over with the palm of 
the hand until the skin is in a healthy glow, when the 
bath may be considered finished for the da)'. 

Would you continue the daily bath, even if the baby is 
ailing ? 

By no means. If the child is not well, suspend all 
rules until your physician can be consulted and the 
trouble defined. Take his advice in the matter. It 
may be very unwise to use the customary bath, and, in 
any event, it is well to suspend it pending develop- 
ments. Sufficient bathing or washing to maintain ordi- 
nary cleanliness is, of course, permissible — indeed, 
obligatory — for every part of the child's body is liable 
to become soiled, and there can be no harm, under any 
circumstances, in simply cleansing the skin with a 
moist sponge, with or without soap. 

Is it not wise to omit a daily bath with a thin, rather 
delicate child? I have heard that too much bathing was 
injurious in some eases. 

No stereotyped rule should be laid down in this 
particular, nor in any other particular for that matter, 
for a strict observance of any fixed rule would be 
disastrous. Many infants fall by the wayside because 
the dictum of the doctor, or the inflexible character of 
the nurse, failed to comprehend the fact that age, 
temperament, condition, and vigor of health must vary 
all rules and modify all habits. The food must be 
varied as occasion requires, and so must the exercise, 
sleep, and all the daily routine of the nursery. This 
statement applies with special force to the bath. 
Judgment, discretion, and com-mon sense must be exer- 



HA THING. 185 

cised in this apparently simple duty, and the hour, 
the duration, and the manner of bathing must be 
changed to suit special cases and emergencies. One 
child may be benefited by a cold or cool bath that 
would be highly injurious to another. In some cases 
only enough bathing to insure cleanliness should be 
indulged in, while, with a robust, vigorous child, there 
is scarcely any need of limitations or restrictions. 

Let me give you this caution, in closing: Never 
bathe a baby in a cold room. If the bath has been 
begun, and you find the temperature too low, let the 
loath be ended as quickly as possible, and the infant 
quickly dried and wrapped in warm blankets before 
the body has time to become seriously chilled. 

Are there any other precautions that you think worthy 
of mention in the matter of the daily bath ? 

I have failed to mention one thing which is very 
important, and that is the necessity of scrupulous care 
in keeping the appliances of the bath clean. The bath- 
tub should be thoroughly rinsed and dried after each 
bath ; the wash-cloths and the towels should be care- 
fully dried and aired before being again used. 

Why do you advocate the use of a flannel zvash-cloth 
in preference to a sponge ? 

I did not intend to be so understood. Both are 
essential to a correct bath. The flannel is soft and is 
better for cleansing the skin. It can be used with 
better facility to enter the clefts and folds of the skin, 
while the sponge is better for finishing the bath, for it 
will hold water better, and by its means a miniature 
shower bath can be improvised for washing off the 
soap, and cleansing the skin of dirt which the wash-cloth 
has loosened. 



186 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

• What is the best time for giving the sponge bath ? 

In the morning just before the second nursing. All 
baths should be given on an empty stomach — never 
after a hearty meal. The temperature of the sponge 
bath may be lower than the full bath — say 8o° or 85 ° F. 
The preparations for the bath are practically the same 
as for the full or cleansing bath, but it may be of 
much shorter duration — not exceeding eight to ten 
minutes — and the sponge bath should always be fol- 
lowed by rubbing the body with the palm of the hand 
until the surface of the body is dry and in a perfect 
glow. Rubbing the back after a bath is especially 
grateful to the young babe. 

Is there any special care of the scalp which I should 
know abont ? 

The washing of the head is a most important matter. 
The head should always be wet before the body is im- 
mersed in the full bath, and it should be well but gently 
rubbed while in the bath to insure against an accumula- 
tion of scurf on the scalp. The circulation about the 
head is very active, and the sebaceous glands of the scalp 
are very active in infancy. Unless care is used to keep 
the head free from scurf, infantile eczema is very prone 
to develop itself. After the bath the nurse must be very 
careful to dry the hair carefully. It should first be 
dried by means of a soft towel and then brushed out 
with a fine hairbrush. 

Never use a comb on an infant's head. It thins the 
hair by pulling it out by the roots, and irritates the 
scalp, thereby provoking eruptions. 

Should any artificial dressing be put on a baby's Jiair ? 

No, never. If the hair is washed and brushed, the oil 
from the scalp will keep it soft, glossy, and healthful. 



EXERCISE. L81 

In case of chafing- or excoriations, should the bath be 
modified iti any way f 

In such cases stop the use of soap altogether. The 
probability is that the child's skin is naturally irritable, 
and if so, soap will only make bad matters worse. Sub- 
stitute borax for soap, say a tablespoonful of powdered 
borax to the water in the tub. 

Should this not relieve, is there any other modification 
of the bath that you can suggest ? 

A bran bath is sometimes very useful in such cases, 
or one with oatmeal instead of wheat bran. 

How should a bran bath be prepared? 

A pint of wheat bran, which can be bought at any 
feed store, should be put in a bag made of cheese-cloth 
or common muslin, and this put into the water of the 
bath. Leave it there for a few minutes, squeezing it 
meanwhile until the water is made milky by it, or like 
very thin porridge. 

Sometimes a salt bath, prepared by putting a teacup- 
ful of common salt, or sea salt, to each two gallons of 
water, is a useful expedient. A salt bath is very stim- 
ulating, and has a tendency to prevent taking cold after 
the bath. Salt water is also somewhat astringent, and 
tends to check unnecessary and abnormal perspiration. 

EXERCISE. 

You spoke, a moment ago, about the necessity of exer- 
cise for infants. Will you tell me hoiv a young babe 
can get exercise ? 

If you watch a young babe while it is awake you will 
see that it is in constant motion ; arms and legs are 
going incessantly, and this is quite as it should be. An 
infant must have such exercise as it can get, and 
nature provides that it shall not be still. It reaches 



188 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

for everything it sees ; it throws up its hands and feet 
in the ecstasy of its enjoyments. When it goes out in 
its perambulator it can scarcely be kept within unless 
it is strapped in. After the child gets to be five or six 
months old it tries to stand, and makes its first attempt 
at creeping. Creeping is a most excellent form of 
exercise, but the floor must be free from draughts 
of cold air. / 

Do y on approve of tossing an infant much about, after 
the fasJiion of fond papas and bachelor uncles ? 

I do not. I think it cruel and dangerous. I have 
known of several accidents from falls in consequence 
of the fright which the baby has felt. Violent tossing 
of a young babe ought never to be allowed. It has 
been known to bring on convulsions. It is especially 
important to keep the baby quiet immediately after 
eating. If he be tossed directly afterward, it will 
necessarily interfere with his digestion, and is liable to 
produce serious sickness. Let the baby's exercise be 
gentle and moderate, as becometh one of his tender age. 

Do yon think well of putting the baby on t lie floor so as 
to alloiv it to kick and crawl ? 

Yes, if the temperature of the room is so regulated 
that the baby will not take cold. Spread a soft but 
firm mattress on the floor, or a blanket or rug, aivay 
from the door, and let the baby lie there, and stretch 
and sprawl and kick to its heart's content. If it hap- 
pens to roll off the mattress it can not bump itself very 
hard. The exercise will do it good, and the enjoyment 
it receives will amply compensate for any slight bruises 
it may accidentally get. Care should be taken, how- 
ever, to avoid draughts, which are especially prevalent 
about the floor at the door openings and about the 
washboards under the windows. Select the middle of 



EXERCISE. 189 

the room, and. if the house is uniformly heated, open 
the doors into the hall and adjoining rooms, so that 
there may be no crevice draughts. Then let the baby 
kick, and laugh, and crow, and stretch its back and 
legs. It is a pretty sight to see, which parents and 
relatives and friends will all enjoy. 

What do you think of " massage " for infants ? 

I think very highly of it in cases of weakness, pros= 
tration, or paralysis. But the massage, to be of any 
good in such cases as I have mentioned, should be given 
by a professional masseur, who knows, by education 
and experience, just how to give it and how long to 
continue it. Massage for therapeutic purposes — that is, 
when given to a sick baby with a definite object in 
view — can not be given by an inexperienced mother or 
nurse, for it is capable of doing harm as well as good. 
But it is not in case of illness nor even weakness that 
we are now talking of exercise. Massage is really only 
a scientific name for passive exercise, and, as such, may 
be given by nurse or mother to any child who is strong 
enough to bear it. As passive exercise, it is of great 
hygienic value, and should be employed to a greater or 
less extent with every well baby daily. Each day, after 
the bath and after the infant's body is well dried, let 
gentle friction be made with the bare hands over the 
arms, the legs, and over the back and abdominal walls. 
A few minutes thus spent will improve the circulation 
and put the skin in a healthy glow. The minute blood 
vessels (capillaries) are stimulated, the blood is invited 
to the surface, internal congestions are obviated, and 
the nutrition of the skin is promoted. It also adds 
vigor to the entire body. The palm of the hand should 
always be used, and no oil or water is necessary, except 
in starvelings. Of this and other treatments we shall 

13 



190 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

speak hereafter. In cases of constipation it may be 
said here that gentle massage of the large bowel (the 
colon) from right to left is very effectual in promoting 
natural peristalsis, which is essential to the physiolog- 
ical action of the bowels. When the ankles or legs are 
weak, friction of the weak parts is of great benefit, but 
general frictions and rubbings should "be conjoined with 
special exercises, such as are given in the " Swedish 
movement cure." As a quieting means for restless 
babies, massage is also very valuable. An infant must 
be in pain or must be quite ill that will not go to sleep 
after a warm bath and gentle rubbing of its back and 
limbs. 

Does not creeping on the hands and knees tend to 
develop and strengthen the lungs ? 

All exercise does this, creeping probably no more 
than walking, and not so much as running and jump- 
ing. As creeping is almost one of the first exercises 
taken involving the entire body it should be encour- 
aged, for it does promote deep breathing and conse- 
quent expansion of the lungs. 

How sJwuld a baby be lifted? 

A young baby should always be lifted with one hand 
supporting the head, while the other hand supports the 
hips. In carrying a young babe for any distance, it is 
best thrown over the shoulder, so that its body rests 
against the breast, while the arm supports the child's 
body. 

Should a young infant or child ever be lifted by its 
arms ? 

I have known of several instances where a child thus 
lifted suffered from sprain of the wrists or shoulders, 
and I have come to believe that there is much danger 



TEETHING. 101 

in so doing. The joints and muscles, and indeed the 
whole physical mechanism of a child, is very loose, and 
easily strained. Always, therefore, lift a child by plac- 
ing the hands under the infant's arms, and never by 
grasping the wrists. 

TEETHING. 

Noii\ Doctor, will you please tell me about the baby's 
teeth t When do tliey first appear ? 

To begin with, let me say that teething is a perfectly 
natural or physiological process. It is an evolution 
which should create no more excitement or disturb- 
ance in the baby's organism than any other evolution 
which marks growth and development. Theoretically 
there ought to be as much disturbance at any other 
marked epoch in the child's progress toward maturity, 
but practically there is not. A perfectly healthy child 
should cut its teeth without pain and without discom- 
fort. Most children do, however, experience pain more 
or less pronounced, which is more likely to be felt 
while the teeth are low down in the gums than just 
before they cut through. There is doubtless a sensa- 
tion of fullness about the gum as the tooth rises out of 
its socket, and in numerous children this is exaggerated 
into actual pain. In some cases, when the gum is full 
and tense, the coming tooth is held down against the 
dental nerve which enters the tooth at its root. This 
causes intense pain and makes the baby nervous, rest- 
less, or even cry with anguish. 

What are the extreme limits of variation in teething? 

While the average age at wmich dentition begins is 
from five to seven months, some have cut teeth as early 
as three months ; indeed, there are instances on record 
of infants having been born with teeth. Shakespeare 
thus refers to King Richard the Third; 



192 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

"York — Marry, they say my u?icle grew so fast 

That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old. 
' Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth; 
Grandam, this would have been a bitmg jest." 

There are also instances on record of adults who 
have never cut any teeth. 

With some children in apparently good health, teeth- 
ing does not come until they are a year old, or older, 
but as a rule absence of teeth at twelve months of age 
is suspicious of malnutrition or rickets. 

Do children ever have convulsions from tectJiing? 

Yes; but teething alone is not the cause of convul- 
sions. It is only the last straw. A healthy baby rarely, 
if ever, has spasms from the cause above. A nervous 
or irritable child, however, who is poorly nourished and 
whose system is already deranged by previous ill 
health, especially a rickety child whose teeth come late 
and several at the same time, is quite apt to be still 
more unstrung by the process of teething, and such a 
child may even have convulsions provoked by the 
process. 

Do yon believe in lancing the gums in difficult denti- 
tion ? 

Yes, I think that lancing of the gums is indicated in 
certain cases, but not often. "When it is needed the 
gums are swollen and the baby cries when pressure is 
made over the coming tooth. Women have often 
brought peevish, fretful, or "colicy" babies to me to 
have the gums lanced, however, when there was not the 
slightest evidence of difficulty in dentition, but ample 
evidence that the symptoms she ascribed to the teeth 
were due to indigestion. It must be remembered that 
teething is a normal process, and is often, indeed 
ordinarily, attended with so little discomfort that it 
would be sheer folly to interfere with it in any way. 



TEETHING, 193 

Does the gum over a tooth ever need lancing more than 
once ? 

It should not. If the same tooth needs lancing the 
second time the job was not properly done the first 
time — probably it was not needed at all. 

Does lancing ever do harm t 

Yes, if the tooth is not far enough advanced to hold 
apart the two edges of the wound made by lancing, the 
wound will heal and the eruption of the tooth will be 
delayed instead of hastened. 

What is the object of lancing the gums, and in what 
iv ay does it afford relief ? 

It is not to hasten the coming of the tooth, for this it 
rarely does. Its purpose is to relieve the tension of the 
thick and swollen gum which binds the tooth down and 
crowds it against the dental nerve at the root of the 
tooth, causing pain and irritation. 

May I 'allow the baby's grandmother to lance the gums 
or do it myself? 

No. Do not trust anyone but a physician to do it. 
However, in most cases where lancing is needed at all 
the same result may be accomplished by covering the 
forefinger with a piece of gauze or towel and rubbing 
the gum vigorously with it. If the tooth is not far 
enough advanced to be brought through by the process 
it is not likely that any relief from symptoms can be 
had by lancing. 

Is there any way in which, either by care or food, the 
baby may be aided in his trials with the incoming teetJi ? 

Yes; you can see that he is kept in a happy, comforta- 
ble frame of mind and free from unnecessary worry or 
teasing. Supply his diet with the foods that contain 
tooth-forming elements. 



194 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

WJien are infants most apt to suffer from teething? 

I have already intimated that the object of lancing is 
not to hasten the coming- of the tooth. When the* tooth 
is nearly through, and only a film of gum covers the 
crown of the tooth, there is no need of surgical inter- 
ference. This thin, filmy covering will soon yield to 
the oncoming tooth without aid. The greatest suffer- 
ing to the child is when the tooth is deep down in the 
gum, and when there is a considerable thickness of 
tissue overlying the tooth. It is, therefore, early in 
teething and not late in the process that surgical assist- 
ance is demanded. 

What teeth are most likely to cause the child trouble ? 

The molars, or double teeth, are usually the hardest- 
to cut, and next to them the canine, or, as they are pop- 
ularly called, the stomach and eye teeth. 

A t what age does the eruption of the teeth begin ? 

The time is quite variable, but on an average the 
first tooth is cut when the infant is five or six months 
of age. As I have already stated, there are cases on 
record where babies have been born with teeth, and 
sometimes again the child is eight or nine months old 
before the first tooth is acquired. The early age and 
the ease with which the teeth are cut are generally good 
indications of the healthfulness and vigor of the child. 
As a rule it may be stated that girls are more apt than 
boys to cut their teeth early and easily; and it may also 
be stated, as a matter of almost universal observation, 
that bottle-fed babies, as a class, are more tardy in cut- 
ting their teeth than those fed at the breast. 

Is there any regular order in which the teeth make 
their appearance ? 



TEETHING. 195 

Yes, but this order, like all other physical phenomena, 
is flexible and subject to much variation. One rule is 
absolute in normal dentition, and that is a pause or 
interval of rest between the eruption of separate groups 
of teeth. 

The first group of milk teeth — as the first set of 
teeth is called — consists of the two central incisors in 
the lower jaw. After this comes the first pause, lasting 
from three to six weeks, followed by the appearance of 
the second group, consisting of the four upper incisors. 
Of these the central upper incisors appear first, closely 
followed by the lateral upper incisors. Then follows a 
second pause, lasting from one to three weeks, followed 
by the eruption of the third group, namely, the four 
anterior molars and the two lower lateral incisors. The 
teeth of the third group are not all cut at once or in 
any fixed and invariable order, although the anterior 
molars in the upper jaw usually come first, and are fol- 
lowed by the incisors and then by the molars of the 
lower jaw. After the third group has appeared there 
is another pause of generally two or three months, no 
more teeth appearing until the age of eighteen or 
twenty months, at which time the fourth group, the 
canines, are cut. After another pause of from two to 
four months, the fifth and last group, the posterior 
molars, appear,, and the first dentition is completed. 
Thus it will be seen that a baby a year old should have 
from six to eight teeth, and possibly more, and that by 
the time it is two and one-half years old all of the tem- 
porary teeth should be through. The baby should then 
have its full quota of twenty teeth and will get no 
more until it is six or seven years of age, when the per- 
manent teeth begin to replace the milk or deciduous 
set. Let me make this plainer to you by the following 
table: 



196 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

ORDER OF ERUPTION OF MILK TEETH. 

First group — Two lower central incisors — 7 months. 

Pause — 3 to 6 weeks. 
Second group — Four upper incisors — 8 to to months. 

Pause — 1 to 3 months. 
Third group — Four anterior molars and two lower 
lateral incisors — 12 to 15 months. 
Pause — 2 to 3 months. 
Fourth group — Four canines (eye and stomach teeth) 
— 18 to 24 months. 

Pause — 2 to 4 months. 
Fifth group — Four posterior molars — 20 to 30 months 

What are the early signs of teething f 

Sometimes, usually several weeks before the first 
tooth appears, there is an increased flow of saliva; the 
infant dribbles or drools, and eagerly puts anything it 
can into its mouth and bites or chews on it. It is very 
partial to its tiny fist, and every now and again, as it 
rubs or chews on the sensitive gums, it cries out from 
pain. Even under circumstances which are perfectly 
normal the edges of the gums lose their sharp ridge 
and become swollen, rounded, and reddened as the 
teeth approach the surface. The mouth is more or less 
feverish, and water or the breast is eagerly taken to 
assuage thirst. 

Do bottle-fed babies get their teeth as easily and 
promptly as those that are nursed at the breast ? 

As a rule they do not. Bottle-fed babies, as a class, 
are more tardy in cutting their teeth. Still it often 
happens that breast-fed infants are slow in teething, 
but if well and hearty and strong, this need not occasion 
any anxiety, provided the procrastination is not carried 
too far. Whether nursed at the breast or bottle-fed, if 
no teeth have appeared when the infant is a year old, it 



TEETHING. 197 

may be assumed that there is something- radically 
wrong with its nutrition. If the fault is not speedily 
corrected there is danger of rickets. 

Does delay in cutting the teeth necessarily imply diffi- 
culty and danger t 

It does not always do so, although the two are often 
associated. Sometimes the most robust and precocious 
infants have great trouble in getting their teeth, while, 
on the other hand, delicate and puny subjects pass 
through the ordeal with little or no trouble. 

What is the significance of the "second summer" so 
called, that experienced mothers dread it so much ? 

If you have read carefully what has already been 
said about the order of the eruption of the teeth, you 
will have noticed that the first molars come between 
the twelfth and eighteenth months, and that the canine 
teeth are to be expected between- the eighteenth and 
twenty-fourth months. These two groups of teeth are 
most prone to make trouble, and when the child is born 
at such a time of the year as to bring the eruption of 
these during the hot summer months, illness of some sort 
may be anticipated. Even with robust children this is 
a time of peril, and sudden illness often comes on which 
is sometimes fatal. This is partly due to the heat of 
the summer, excessive heat being always depressing; 
and partly from the fact that all food is apt to be more 
or less tainted in hot weather. This is true of cow's 
milk as well as of other foods. The second summer, too, 
is the time when the child is old enough to want every- 
thing it sees, and puts everything it gets hold of into 
its rapacious mouth. 

The stomach and eye teeth are longer in process of 
evolution, and make their appearance only after the 
infant's system has already been strained and more or 



198 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

less unstrung by previous teething-. For the treatment 
of the diseases incidental to this period, see chapter on 
dentition. 

Do you approve of giving a child that is teething either 
coral or ivory to bite, or is there any artificial aid to 
teething which is helpful while at the same time liarmless ? 

Friction over any part of the body causes a reaction 
or hardening at that point. This is illustrated by the 
callous spots on the hands after manual work. " Teeth- 
ing rings " do not help the teeth through, but rather 
tend to harden the gums and delay the process. They 
are dirty and I can see no excuse for them. Of course, 
one cannot prevent a baby from putting various things 
into its mouth, but that is no reason for providing it 
with a convenient article for wiping up dirt and germs 
from the floor, for he will inevitably suck them off. 

Is there any objection to permitting the baby while 
teething to stick its thumb ? 

There is the same objection to it that I have urged 
against the " teething rings " or " pacifiers " and another 
one which also applies to those articles — namely, that 
the habit of sucking articles, whether natural or artifi- 
cial, is capable, if persisted in, of producing serious 
deformities — notably, projecting teeth and thick, pro- 
truding lips. 

I remember to have read in the Ingoldsby Legends 
that— 

"Perhaps it's as well to keep children from plums, 

And from pears in their season, and sucking their thumbs." 

Why do doctors ever approve of a teething baby being 
indulged in this habit of using its thumb to bite on ? 

The advocates of the practice allege "the sucking of 
the thumb causes the salivary glands to pour out their 
contents, and thus not only moisten the dry mouth, but 



TEETH I XG. 199 

assist the digestion. The pressure of the thumb eases, 
while the teeth are 'breeding-,' the pain and irritation 
of the gums, and helps, when the teeth are sufficiently 
advanced, to bring them through the gums." Sucking 
of the thumb will often make a cross baby contented 
and happy, and will frequently induce a restless one to 
fall into a sound and refreshing sleep. 

How can the habit be prevented f 

By removing the thumb whenever you see it inserted 
in the mouth or by keeping a mitten on the hand which 
is habitually used. If the habit is' already formed, I 
know of no better way to break it than by smearing the 
thumb with tincture of aloes. One or two tastes of 
the bitter aloes will take away all the pleasure from 
the habit. 

What can be done to prevent excessive dribbling, which 
is sometimes so copioits as to wet his clothes through and 
through, and must make him liable to catch cold. 

This is frequently caused by the sucking habit we 
have just been discussing. The presence of any for- 
eign article in the mouth stimulates the flow of saliva. 
If the flow is excessive without these artificial aids you 
cannot prevent it, but his chest should be protected by 
a bib of bird's-eye cotton, or, perhaps still better, of 
flannel. An oil-silk bib is also useful when the flow of 
saliva is very great. 

Is a child during the process of teething more subject 
to disease, and if so to what complaints, and in wJiat 
manner arc they to be treated? 

I prefer to postpone the consideration of all forms of 
disease and of therapeutic measures until we come to 
speak of diseases in general, when the subject will be 
fully and thoroughly discussed. (See Part IV, Diseases 
of Infancy.) . 



200 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

What causes sonic baby's teeth to decay almost as soon 
as they are cut ? 

It is. not so much the fault of the teeth as it is 
the management of the infant's -food and feeding. 
Decayed teeth, like infantile eczema, is largely, and 
oftentimes wholly, due to a failure on the part of 
the nurse or the mother to keep the baby's mouth and 
gums clean. Decay of the teeth always begins from 
without the tooth — never from within. It is first 
caused (or brought about) by the formation of an 
acid from the decomposition of food. The decomposi- 
tion of the curd of milk may form an acid which will 
attack the enamel of the baby's tooth and soon destroy 
it. These acids are the direct product of bacteria 
or small — microscopically small — vegetable growths 
of various forms and devious nature, which cause a 
great variety of diseases, decay of the teeth among 
others. These bacteria develop rapidly whenever they 
find congenial soil, and this, for some species, consists 
in dirt or decomposing animal or vegetable matter, 
accompanied by warmth and moisture. Teeth which 
are not kept scrupulously clean afford a most admi- 
rable nest for their cultivation, and decay of the 
teeth quickly follows. Many mothers who are 
excessively neat and careful in every other particu- 
lar concerning the baby are careless about the first 
teeth, not knowing how easily they are affected by 
neglect. 

The germs which are most active in destroying the 
enamel of the teeth are bred in an acid medium, and 
are impotent when the secretions of the mouth are 
alkaline, that is to say, in a normal condition. A sour 
stomach will decay the teeth. Hence the importance of 
correcting all signs of acidity with promptitude. 

The addition of lime-water or bicarbonate of soda to 



TEETHING. 201 

the baby's milk is a corrective, and should not be 
forgotten. 

But as this tendency to acidity of the stomach 
depends very generally upon a somewhat morbid state 
of the system m general, such homeopathic remedies 
as calcarea carb. should be given internally, in a small 
tablet of the 3X trituration, three or four times daily. 

Unless the child's symptons call for other remedies, 
calcarea carb., given as just stated, will do much to 
preserve the teeth, especially if proper care is taken to 
keep the teeth clean. 

Too much emphasis can not be placed on the impor- 
tance of keeping the baby's mouth clean. It should 
receive attention with every bath. A bit of absorbent 
cotton or old linen should be wrapped about the finger 
of the nurse, and after being wet in fresh, boiled water, 
the gums should be gently but thoroughly gone over. 
After each feeding, the toilet of the mouth should 
be repeated, and as soon as the teeth appear they 
should be inspected daily, in order to see that no tartar 
accumulates on them. If this does occur, it must be 
scraped off with a bit of pine stick, care being taken 
not to injure the gum. 

After the teeth have pierced the gum, a very soft 
toothbrush may be used with a little precipitated 
carbonate of lime or prepared chalk. Only watchful- 
ness and care will prevent premature decay of the teeth. 
Remember, always, that decay of teeth begins from the 
outside, and, by care, can always be prevented. 



PART IV. 



DEPARTURES FROM HEALTH, 



OR 



THE AILMENTS INCIDENTAL TO BABYHOOD 



AND 



HOW TO MEET THEM. 



Ah ! What would the world be to ics 
If the children were no more? 

We should dread the desert behind us 
Worse than the dark before." 

— Longfellow. 



CHAPTER I. 

SIGNS OF SICKNESS. 

Now y Doctor, will you kindly tell me of those early 
signs of illness with which a mother should have knowl- 
edge so as to be able to administer simple remedies her- 
self, or when to summon a physician? 

In answering- this question I wish you to understand 
that it is only those early symptoms wmich show a de- 
parture from health which I shall attempt to describe. 
Infants become ill oftentimes very suddenly, and often 
serious illness begins abruptly. I shall only indicate 
those symptoms which you can readily appreciate and 
understand, in order that you may be warned of impend- 
ing danger, and perhaps give needed aid before your 
medical adviser can respond to your call. 

What, then, are the first signs of illness in a young 
infant ? 

Any essential deviations from that condition which I 
have tried to make plain to you in the preceding pages 
are important for you to recognize. Any disturbance 
or irregularities of function, however slight, should be 
noted, and if prolonged should cause you to call your 
family physician. Whenever there is observed any 
marked change in the countenance or in the external 
appearance of the baby, such as an unusual pallor or 
persistent flush, an unwonted dullness of the eye, an 
indisposition to eat or to play, a loss of accustomed 
gaiety, unusual listlessness, disturbed sleep, uncommon 
wakefulness, sudden starting or jumping while asleep, 
awakening with apparent fright, an unusual degree of 
somnolency, the occurrence of vomiting, accompanied 

14 ,205) 



206 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

with paleness, or paleness alternating with a suffusion 
of redness more or less deep, increased heat of the 
hands and feet, or of the entire surface, unusual and 
persistent coldness of the extremities, unaccustomed 
fretfulness, frequently repeated or prolonged fits of 
crying, or a marked change in the character of the cry, 
frequent or constant corrugation of the brow, twitch- 
ing of the muscles of the face, rejection of the breast 
or of food, unusual movements of the head and limbs, 
crying or moaning whenever the body is moved — any 
of these S3'mptoms, if of any considerable duration, indi- 
cate that the babe is not entirely well, and may mean 
that it is seriously ill. If, after giving such simple rem- 
edies as I shall presently advise under the proper head, 
the baby is not quickly bettered, you had best send for 
your regular family physician. 

Will you mention some other signs of sickness that a 
mother ought to be able to recognize ? 

Any material rise in temperature is, of course, indic- 
ative of illness, but infants are thrown into a fever by 
very slight causes, and a little fever may be of but 
trifling import in the absence of other symptoms. 

What significance has vomiting in infancy ? 

In the absence of other symptoms of ill health it has 
no significance whatever, except to indicate that the 
stomach is overloaded. An infant vomits with the 
greatest ease, and if a nursing babe throws up milk 
immediately after leaving the breast, no significance 
should be attached to it. If, on the other hand, the 
milk or other food remains in the stomach fo; a time 
and then comes up sour, it indicates an irritable condi- 
tion of the stomach which can not be remedied too 
quickly. 

" A slight irritation of the gastro-intestinal mucous 



S/GNS OF SICKNESS. 207 

membrane of the infant will often, by being suddenly 
reflected to the brain, give rise to a convulsive attack, 
or produce some other and equally serious train of 
symptoms, which might have been prevented by the 
early detection and removal of the primary irritation." 

CONDIE. 

What significance has posture in relation to illness? 

Doctor Griffith, in his " Manual for Mothers and 
Nurses," has this to say regarding position: " The posi- 
tion assumed in sickness is a matter of great importance. 
A child feverish or in pain is usually very restless, even 
when asleep. When awake it desires constantly to be 
taken up, put down again, or carried about. Some- 
times, however, at the beginning of an acute disease it 
lies heavy and stupid for a long time. In prolonged 
illness, and in severe acute disorders, the great exhaus- 
tion is shown by the child lying upon its back, with its 
face turned toward the ceiling, in a condition of com- 
plete apathy. It may lie like a dog, scarcely breathing 
for days before death takes place. Perfect immobility 
may also be seen in children who are entirely uncon- 
scious, although not exhausted. A constant tossing off 
of the covers at night occurs early in rickets. A baby 
shows a desire to be propped up with pillows, or to sit 
erect, or to be carried in the mother's arms with its 
head over her shoulder, whenever breathing is much 
interfered with, as in diphtheria of the larynx and in 
affections of the heart and lungs. The constant 
assumption of one position, or the keeping of one part 
of the body still, may indicate paralysis. When, how- 
ever, a cry attends a forcible change of position, it 
shows that the child was still because movement caused 
pain. Sleeping with the mouth open and the head 
thrown back often attends chronic enlargements of the 



208 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

tonsils in young children, although it may be seen in 
other affections which make breathing difficult. In 
inflammation of the brain the head is drawn far back 
and held stiffly so. Sometimes, too, in this disease the 
child lies upon one side, with the back arched, the knees 
drawn up, and the arms crossing over the chest. A 
constant burying of the face in the pillow or in the 
mother's lap occurs in severe inflammation of the eyes." 

Should a healthy baby sweat about the head when no 
perspiration is noticeable elsewhere ? 

If an infant sweats about the head whenever it goes 
to sleep, regardless of the weather, it indicates weak- 
ness — debility — and is one of the first signs of that 
bone affection called rickets. If the sweating is only 
occasional, and occurs during the hot weather of sum- 
mer, it signifies nothing. 

What does it mean if a child is frequently troubled 
with jerking and twitching of the muscles ? 

It always means an irritation of some nerve some- 
where, and is common in indigestion (gastritis), and 
also in diarrhoea, and is present in all brain affections. 
Such symptoms are often the precursors of convulsions. 
Sudden starting in the sleep, with or without a cry, has 
the same significance. 

THE CRY. 

What kind of a cry is indicative of sickness ? 

When it is too long or too frequent. As heretofore 
stated, it is natural for every child to cry some, but it is 
quite unnatural for a child to cry all the time. The 
abnormal cry is a sort of moaning, or a fretful cry, and 
oftentimes it is only a feeble whine. 

How can I distinguish tlie cry of illness from that of 
temper ? 



SIGNS OF SICKNESS. 209 

The cry of illness is more a worrying than a real cry, 
while that of temper is boisterous. 

What is the cry of pain f 

It is strong, sharp, and sudden, but it is not usually 
continuous. It is accompanied by contractions of the 
features, drawing up of the legs, and other symptoms 
of distress. 

What cry is indicative of earache ? 

It is unappeasable, but strong and long drawn out. 
It is accompanied, if occurring in a child old enough to 
use its arms, by motions pointing to the seat of trouble. 
A young babe, however, is scarcely ever able to locate 
the source of its pain, and but little dependence is to be 
placed upon these subjective symptoms. 

When a child ceases crying after being nursed, does 
that always indicate that hunger was the cause of the 
cry ? 

Not always, for colic is sometimes relieved by the 
inflow of warm milk into the stomach. In such cases 
the relief is only temporary, and after a short interval 
the pain returns worse than ever. 

What docs it signify if a child erics when it is lifted 
up or is handled ? 

It means rheumatism or acute rickets. If it cries 
only when the chest is pressed upon, as in lifting it, it 
may mean pleurisy. A healthy child loves to be lifted, 
handled, and played with. 

What sort of cry is indicative of brain disease ? 

The cry which is characteristic of acute inflammation 
of the brain — meningitis — is a single shrill, piercing cry 
uttered at intervals, and occurs now and then even 
when the child seems asleep. 



210 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

What is the cliaracter of the cry in bronchitis and 
pneumonia ? 

In any disease which obstructs the air passages the 
cry is short and the child cries but little, for the reason 
that it can not hold its breath long enough for a pro- 
longed cry. 

What does it mean when a nursing cJiild drops the 
nipple and cries, while at the same time it seems hungry ? 

It may mean several things. A nursing babe behaves 
this way when the milk- ducts are obstructed, as in its 
early attempts, or when it can not grasp the nipple from 
tongue-tie ; in an older child it may behave thus from 
sore throat, making swallowing difficult; it may also be 
due to sniffles, which makes it difficult to breathe and 
nurse at the same time; 

What other forms of cry are worthy of notice ? 

If a cry follows or accompanies a fit of coughing, it 
indicates some painful affection of the chest ; if it pre- 
cedes or follows an evacuation of the bowels, it means 
intestinal pain, such as colic, hemorrhoids, or anal exco- 
riation. A loud, brassy, or metallic cry is a precursor 
of spasmodic croup; the cry is often like a bark, while a 
faint, whispering, almost inaudible cry indicates that 
more serious form of croup known as membranous. 

" TANTRUMS." 

When a child is tzuo years old or older and gets into a 
fury whenever its will is crossed, yells and stamps its 
feet, and will not be pacified, what is to be done ? 

Great care and tact is necessary to control these 
nervous children. In some cases the crying spells are 
due solely to temper and to over-indulgence. Such 
children, if otherwise strong, should be taught self- 
control, and their whims should not always be catered 



SIGNS OF SICKNESS. 211 

to. Firm measures, even earned to the extent of mild 
punishment, are sometimes necessary. In other eases 
these "tantrums" are indicative of irritability of the 
brain, which may easily be carried to actual inflamma- 
tion unless great care is taken to arrest the paroxysm. 
It is useless to argue with these children. To attempt 
to reason with them only makes matters worse. It 
only exasperates them and renders them all the more 
unreasonable. With delicate and over-sensitive chil- 
dren it is best to avoid such scenes, as far as possible ; 
but when the "tantrum" is "on" I have found nothing 
so certain to afford prompt relief as bathing the head 
in cold water. Wet a towel in cold water and swathe 
the head with it. I have rarely had to repeat this pre- 
scription, or to continue the treatment for more than a 
few minutes. 

Bnt if a child is peevish and yet in apparently good 
health, have yon any plan to offer to allay his irri- 
tability ? 

It is often very difficult to tell if a child is sick or 
only cross and unreasonable. We should never forget 
that the "sorrows of childhood," however trifling and 
absurd the}'- may seem to us who are older, are very 
real to the child. We should be very sympathetic, and 
under no circumstances should a parent lose temper. 
Be patient, considerate, and, above all things, loving. 
The most obstinate and unreasonable child can be won 
over and made happy and smiling by kindness, tact, 
and love. 

Ghevasse has covered this point so well that I quote 
the following paragraphs : 

"A child's troubles are soon over ; his tears are soon 
dried. 'Nothing dries sooner than a tear' — if not pro- 
longed by improper management. 



212 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

" 'The tear down childhood's cheek that flows 
Is like the dewdrop on the rose ; 
When next the summer breeze comes by 
And waves the bush, the flower is dry.'' 

" Never allow a child to be teased ; it spoils his tem- 
per. If he be in a cross humor, take no notice of it, 
but divert his attention to some pleasing object. This 
may be done without spoiling- him. Do not combat 
bad temper with bad temper, noise with noise. Be 
firm, be kind, be gentle, be loving, speak quietly, smile 
tenderly, and embrace him fondly, but insist tcpon im- 
plicit obedience, and you will* have, with God's blessing, 
a happy child. 

" Speak gently to a child ; speak gently to all, but 
more especially speak gently to a child. l A gentle voice 
is an excellent tiling in woman,' and is a jewel of great 
price, and is one of the concomitants of a perfect lady. 
Let the hinges of your disposition be well oiled. How 
many there are who never turn upon the hinges of this 
world without a grinding that sets the teeth of a whole 
household on edge ! Pleasant words ought always to 
be spoken to a child. There must be neither snarling, 
nor snapping, nor snubbing, nor loud contention toward 
him. If there be, it will ruin his temper and dispo- 
sition, and will make him hard and harsh, morose and 
disagreeable. 

"Do not be always telling your child how wicked 
he is, what a naughty boy he is, that God will never 
love him, and all the rest of such twaddle. Do not, in 
point of fact, bully him, as many poor little fellows are 
bullied. It will ruin him if you do ; it will make him, 
in after years, either a coward or a tyrant. Such con- 
versations, like constant droppings of water, will make 
an impression, and will cause him to feel that it is of 
no use to try to be good — that he is hopelessly wicked. 



SIGNS OF .V/(A.\7:.V.V. 213 

Instead of such language give him confidence in him- 
self ; rather rind out his good points and dwell upon 
them ; praise him where and whenever you can, and 
make him feel that, by perseverance and by God's 
blessing, he will make a good man. Speak truthfully 
to your child ; if you once deceive him, he will not 
believe you for the future. Not only so, but if you are 
truthful yourself you are likely to make him truthful ; 
'like begets like.' There is something beautiful in 
truth. A lying child is an abomination. Sir Walter 
Scott says ' that he taught his son to ride, to shoot, and 
to tell the truth: 

"As soon as a child can speak, he should be made to 
lisp the noble words of truth, and to love it, and to 
abhor a lie. What a beautiful character he will then 
make ! Blessed is that child who can say: 

" ' Parental cares watched o'er my growing youth, 
And early stamped it with the love of truth: 

" Have no favorites, show no partiality; for the young 
are very jealous, sharp-sighted, and quick-witted, and 
take a dislike to the petted one. Do not rouse the old 
Adam in them. Let children be taught to be ' kindly 
affectioned, one to another, with brotherly love;' let them 
be encouraged to share each other's toys and play- 
things, and to banish selfishness. 

" Attend to a child's little pleasures. It is the little 
pleasures of a child that constitute his happiness. Great 
pleasures to him and to us all (as a favorite antlwr 
remarks) come but seldom, and are the exceptions, and 
not the rule. 

" Let a child be nurtured in love. It will be seen 
that I hold this law of kindness as the Alpha and 
Omega of education. I once asked one, in his own 
house, a father in everything but the name — his author- 
ity unquestioned, his least word held in reverence, his 



214 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

smallest wish obeyed — ' How did yon ever manage to 
bring- np these children ? ' He said, 'By love T 

u Let every word and action prove that yon love 
yonr children. Enter into all their little pursuits and 
pleasures. Join them in their play, and be a child 
again! If they are curious, do not check their curios- 
ity, but rather encourage it, for they have a great deal 
— as we all have — to learn, and how can they know if 
they are not taught ? You may depend upon it,, the 
knowledge they obtain from observation is far superior 
to that obtained from books. Let all you teach them, 
let all you do, and let all you say, bear the stamp of 
love. Endeavor, from first to last, in your intercourse 
with your children, to let it bear the impress of love. 
It is not enough that you feel affection toward your 
children — that you are devoted to their interests ; you 
must show in your manner the fondness of your heart 
toward them. 

" Young minds can not appreciate great sacrifices 
made for them ; they judge their parents by the words 
and deeds of every-day life. They are Avon by little 
kindnesses, and alienated by little acts of neglect or 
impatience. One complaint unnoticed, one appeal 
unheeded, one lawful request arbitrarily refused, will 
be remembered by your little ones more than a thou- 
sand acts of the most devoted affection. 

" A placid, well-regulated temper is very conducive 
to health. A disordered or an overloaded stomach is a 
frequent cause of peevishness. Appropriate treatment 
in such a case will, of course, be necessary." 

What is the most significant symptom of chronic 
illness in an infant ? 

Loss of weight. When this is accompanied with 
other symptoms of disturbance, you may be sure the 
baby is ill. 



SIGNS (>/•' SICKNESS. 215 

What does it signify when a baby only half closes its 
eyes when asleep ? 

Incomplete closure of the eyelids, rendering the 
whites of the eyes visible during sleep, may occur from 
simple colic, or when sleep is rendered unsound by 
pain anywhere. - It is a common symptom in all acute 
and chronic diseases of serious type. Twitching of 
the eyelids, associated with oscillation of the eyeballs 
or squinting, are usually present when convulsions are 
threatening. 

WJiat other symptoms are zvorthy of special notice in 
this connection ? 

Dilatation of the orifices of the nose, with the wings 
of the nose alternately contracting and expanding. 
These signs point to embarrassment of respiration. 
We see it in bronchitis, pleurisy, and pneumonia. 

Contraction of the brows indicates pain in the head; 
sharpness of the nostrils, pain in the chest; and a drawn 
look of the tipper lip, pain in the abdomen. 

One of the first and most common signs of ill health 
in an infant is restlessness. Instead of being composed 
and placid, a sick baby is fretful and peevish, cries, and 
is only pacified for a moment. 

Docs vomiting always mean sickness in a baby f 

No. As I have already stated, an infant vomits with 
greatest ease and with very slight provocation. If a 
nursing baby takes more milk into its stomach than it 
can hold it vomits up the excess. If milk is thrown 
up curdled or in sour masses it is a sign of indigestion. 
This will be explained more fully when treating 
of infant feeding. 

What is the average capacity of the stoiuacli in the 
new born f 

Less than one fluid ounce. 



21 G ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Are any of these symptoms you liave mentioned imme- 
diately dangerous ? 

Yes, some of them are especially significant of deep- 
seated trouble, while others are trifling in their impor- 
tance. There is scarcely one of these symptoms which, 
if lasting more than a few hours, may not be serious 
enough to warrant the advice of an experienced 
physician. This is especially true because many of 
the serious maladies of infancy, which, if recognized 
promptly, and intelligently treated, may be promptly 
arrested, while if neglected and allowed to become 
fully developed may soon go beyond control. 

Is this all you have to say about the signs of illness in 
an infant ? 

One very important matter I have not yet mentioned. 
It is the baby's urine. I have indicated the color and 
amount of urine a healthy babe should pass, but in 
sickness the amount is subject to such variation, both 
in quantity and quality, as to require attention. 

What does it indicate if the baby's diapers are deeply 
stained, or the cJiamber is lined with red sediment ? 

This brick-dust sediment is from an excessive secre- 
tion of the natural coloring matter of the urine, which 
excess comes from congestion or inflammation of the 
kidneys. (See paragraph on rheumatism.) In bad cases 
of indigestion the urine is highly tinged, but the normal 
urine does not stain either napkin or chamber. 

What is generally the trouble if a young infant or 
child cries when it voids its urine ? 

Pain in urinating may come from some specific infec- 
tion of the urethra or from the acrid character of the 
urine itself, but the most common cause is irritation of 
the external genitals, and the chief cause of this is 
retention of secretions or too long a foreskin. Most of 



SIGNS OF S/CAWESS. %l7 

these cases in children who are still on a milk diet occur 
in males and most of them need circumcision. There 
are cases, however, in which the trouble is solely the 
concentrating- of the urine. 

How am I to distinguish this cause from the others ? 

If the child has pain on urinating- examine it carefully 
for the causes mentioned. If none exist and if the 
urine smells strong and stains the clothing, it is safe to 
assume that the urine is at least partly responsible. 

Can anything be done under these circumstances to 
remedy the difficulty ? 

Yes. All you need to do is to give him all the water 
he will drink. The trouble will not occur (due to the 
urine) if he is supplied with plenty of water. 

What is the cause of "gravel" or stone in the bladder ? 

It is the logical result of the above conditions. The 
kidneys have more waste matter to eliminate than they 
have water in which to dissolve them. The result is 
that crystals are deposited in the bladder and they may 
form one upon another until a " stone " is formed. 

THE TEMPERATURE. 

What significance has a rise of temperature in infants? 

A slight rise in temperature does not usually have 
the same meaning in young children that it has in adult' 
life, especially if the fever is only of short duration. It 
must always be borne in mind that all during infancy 
and childhood fever is easily produced and runs high 
from what often proves to be a trifling cause. Even a 
slight cold, constipation, or a slight disturbance of diges- 
tion, may produce in babies a temperature of 102 or 
even 103 F. We do not regard the temperature as high 
enough to call it fever if it does not exceed ioo° F. A 



218 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

temperature not exceeding 103 would constitute a 
moderate fever, while that of 104 or 104.6 would be 
high; if 105 or over it is very high. The latter temper- 
ature may be borne for a short time with safety, but it 
becomes alarming if much prolonged. Should the tem- 
perature reach 107 ° there is cause for grave anxiety, 
for such a fever is rarely recovered from. You should 
bear in mind, therefore, that the danger from fever 
depends not only upon its height, but also upon its dura- 
tion. It also depends upon other symptoms which may 
be associated with it, such as coma, vomiting, convul- 
sions, etc. When fever is present there is a notable 
tendency to variation at different times of the day, 
especially night and morning. The elevation is nearly 
always greater at night. There is nothing peculiar, 
therefore, if the child's temperature which is moderate 
in the morning is much higher by evening. On the 
other hand, if the morning temperature is as high as 
that of the evening before, it does not indicate that the 
disease or the fever is at a standstill, but rather the 
reverse, for by night again it will range still higher. A 
sudden fall of temperature is generally a favorable sign, 
but this is not always so, for unless it is accompanied 
by an improvement in the other symptoms, it may indi- 
cate that death is imminent. 

Is not the temperature sometimes below the normal? 

Yes. Instead of elevation we sometimes encounter 
a temperature half a degree or even a whole degree 
below the normal (98^°). This is frequently seen in 
children who are recovering from an attack of some 
disease in which the temperature has for some time 
been elevated. If the temperature, taken in the rec- 
tum, falls to 97 or lower, it is decidedly dangerous. 
All conditions of exhaustion, as from profuse diarrhoea, 



THE TREATMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 



,19 



obstinate vomiting, or hemorrhage, are liable to be 
attended with depression of temperature, hence their 
danger in very young children. 

Will you please summarize what you have said about 
the signs of illness in infants ? 

In brief, the principal sources of diagnosis in the 
diseases of early infancy are : The expression of the 
countenance, the gestures, the phenomena of sleep, 
the mode in which respiration is effected, the cry, 
the condition of the tongue and mouth, the condition 
of the skin, the state of the breath, and, finally, the 
evacuations of bladder and bowels. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE TREATMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 

What remedies should a mother have for use in cases 
of emergency, such as accidents and trifling illnesses ? 

She should have a case or chest of medicine prepared 
at some homeopathic pharmacy, and containing at least 
two dozen of those remedies commonly needed in 
infancy. A larger case than this is unnecessary. 

Will you give me a list of medicines for this chest ? 



THE INFANT S MEDICINE CHEST. 



Aconite nap. 
Arsenicum, alb. 
Arnica. 
Belladonna. 
Bryonia. 
Baptesia. 
Chamomilla. 
Calcarea carb. 



China. 
Camphor. 
Colocynthis. 
Gelsemium. 
Hepar sulph. 
Ipecac. 
Kali bich. 
Mercurius sol. 



Nux vomica. 
Phosphorus. 
Rhus tox. 
Spongia. 
Sulphur. 
Veratrum alb. 
Tartar emetic. 
Potass, permang. 



220 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

In addition to the above medicines each nursery 
should be supplied with the following : One jar borated 
gauze; half a dozen or so gauze bandages; one package 
absorbent cotton; fountain syringe; castor oil, six 
ounces; flexible collodion, two ounces; syrup of ipecac, 
two ounces; lysol, two ounces; one-half pound boric 
acid crystals; eight ounces of good medicinal whiskey 
or brandy. 

The contents of the medicine chest should, of course, 
be under lock and key and no carelessness should be 
permitted in using and replacing them. The lysol is a 
convenient antiseptic and is not so likely to be mistaken 
for medicine as the commonly used bichloride tablets. 
For small wounds a teaspoonful of lysol to one and one- 
half pints of water is about the strength to use, and 
after thoroughly washing in this the wound may be 
painted with the collodion applied by means of cotton 
wrapped on a toothpick. Syrup of ipecac is a prompt 
and reliable emetic and should be the first thought in 
case of accidental swallowing of poison of any kind. 
For this purpose a teaspoonful may be given to an 
infant of one year and two or three teaspoonfuls to 
older children. 

What strength and form slioidd these remedies be in ? 

The last one mentioned (permang. potass.) should be 
in crystals, as it is used (dissolved) for spraying or 
swabbing the throat when sore. All of the other 
remedies mentioned, I use generally in the third atten- 
uation or dilution, which is technically indicated by the 
mark 3X. The best form in which to get the remedies 
is in "tablet triturates" as they do not lose their 
strength by evaporation — as do pills and disks which 
are only saturated with the tincture. 

Hoiv are these tablet triturates to be used ? 



THE TREATMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 221 

Three or four tablets should be dissolved in a third 
of a glass of water, and a teaspoonful administered at a 
dose, being- guided in frequency by the severity of the 
symptoms and the character of the disease. In ordi- 
nary cases a dose of medicine hourly is quite often 
enough, but in diphtheria and also in cases of high fever 
or colic it is well to administer the medicine as often as 
every fifteen minutes until a perceptible effect is pro- 
duced. 

Should a child be awakened from sleep to take medi- 
cine t 

Never, under ordinary circumstances. If the child is 
sick enough to have its sleep disturbed for medicine 
you should call in the services of a physician and be 
guided by what he tells you in regard to the matter. 

How long is it safe to trust to a given remedy wit 1 tout 
changing to some other ? 

If the disease is an acute one, and of trifling import, 
your remedies, if properly selected, ought to show 
improvement in from two to twenty-four hours. Often 
the effect is apparent within an hour. In cases of fever, 
for example, or diarrhoea, or colic, the remedy, if properly 
chosen, should be followed by amelioration of symptoms 
within from two to twenty-four hours. If there be no 
change for the better within this time, you should 
go carefully over the symptoms and see if you have 
selected the appropriate remedy, and if so, and there is 
no improvement, you should call in a physician at once, 
for the case is probably, or at least it may be, too serious 
for you to handle alone. 

But suppose I can not command the services of a 
homeopathic physician , what am I to do ? 

Never mind the school to which he may belong; 

15 



222 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

what you need is help. Call in the most skillful physi- 
cian in your neighborhood, regardless of medical schools, 
and follow his directions implicitly. Tell him what 
medicines you have given, and trust the future conduct 
of the case to him if he seems worthy of your confidence. 

Is it always safe to give the medicines you have 
indicated f 

Yes, if given according to directions. But do not, 
under any circumstances, give medicines of any kind 
unless you have good reason to do so, and you have a 
reasonably good idea of the cause and nature of the 
baby's sickness. Never give medicine at random or 
haphazard. Medicine is not food, and it is always, even 
in minute homeopathic doses, either helpful or harmful. 
The practice of giving medicated pellets or tablets every 
now and again, without due regard to the reason why, 
is very reprehensible. The greatest care and restriction 
should be exercised in regard to the administration of 
drugs. Many a child's life has been sacrificed by the 
careless and indiscriminating use of the family medicine 
chest. The giving of medicine under all circumstances 
should be limited to the doctor and the parent. In some 
cases a trusted nurse may be given the power of proxy, 
but only in exceptional cases. The actions of all 
medicines should be closely watched and patiently 
studied ; only in this way can one become expert in 
their administration. If this watchfulness is entrusted 
to a nurse, however trustworthy in other respects, the 
experience to the mother is mostly lost. 

Nozu will you kindly give vie the indications for t/iese 
various medicines f 

Directions. — These remedies are all " tablet tritu- 
rates, i. e. } they are prepared by incorporating the, drug 
with sugar of rnilk by a process of thorough trituration. 



THE TREA TV EXT OF SICK CHILDREX. 223 

By this process the remedy, whether it be vegetable, 
mineral, or from whatever source it is derived, is ren- 
dered soluble in water, is of uniform strength, and will 
keep indefinitely in any climate. 

Dose. — For infants under one year of age, three 
tablets in a third of a glass of water. After being 
dissolved give a teaspoonful every hour — half-hour or 
oftener in very acute cases. Very young infants may 
be given a half or a third of a teaspoonful, in which 
case the remedy may be given quite often, if necessary, 
until an appreciable effect is produced. 

INDICATIONS FOR REMEDIES. 

Aconite. — This remedy is chiefly used in fevers, 
although it has a wider range of usefulness. It is 
indicated in nearly all forms of fever in childhood, but 
more especially in those fevers which arise suddenly 
and which are attended with flushed face, burning heat 
of skin, great thirst, restlessness, and, if the child is old 
enough to express its symptoms, a fullness (congestion) 
either in head or elsewhere; quick pulse, rapid heart 
action, and throbbing of temples. 

Arsenicum Alb. — Useful especially in acute cases, 
where there is great thirst; hot, burning pains in stomach 
and bowels, and cold, clammy sweats; in diarrhoea 
attended with watery stools which are excoriating. 

In chronic cases it is useful in chronic diarrhoea of 
infants, in cholera morbus, and in all cases of illness 
attended with pallor or bluish color of skin, and cold, 
clammy sweats; bloated condition of skin, scaly erup- 
tions of skin, sluggish ulcers. It is a good remedy in 
ulcers of the mouth. 

Arnica. — This remedy is especially useful in bruises, 
sprains, and wounds that affect the entire system. We 
refer now to its internal administration. It should be 



224 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

given in cases of falls affecting the head; in ailments 
resulting from shock, burns, etc. Its use externally in 
bruises and bumps where the skin is unbroken is well 
known. When outwardly used, the tincture, clear or 
diluted, is the proper thing, but when given internally 
it should be used like the other remedies. 

Belladonna. — Useful in diseases of the brain, and in 
sore throats which are simply red and inflamed, but not 
ulcerated. 

It is indicated especially in redness of the face, con- 
gestion of the eyes, headache, dilated pupils, convul- 
sions, spasmodic cough which is usually worse at night, 
sleeplessness. 

Bryonia. — Indicated especially in rheumatism, pleu- 
risy, and in most painful affections which are worse 
from motion. 

It is also useful in derangements of the stomach at- 
tended with furred tongue, sallowness of the skin, and 
constipation. It is an excellent remedy to give in the 
beginning of all of the eruptive fevers, such as measles, 
scarlet fever, etc., where the eruption is slow in appear- 
ing. 

In giving aconite and bryonia, care must be taken to 
avoid draughts, as both remedies induce perspiration. 

Baptesia. — A most useful remedy in malarial fevers 
of all kinds. It will sometimes abort typhoid fever, 
and is a remedy of prime importance in remittent and 
intermittent fevers. 

Its principal indications are fever, attended with more 
or less delirium ; patient can not go to sleep because she 
can not get herself together; head feels as if it were 
scattered about; turns about in bed trying to get the 
pieces together ; while answering questions falls asleep ; 
talks incoherently about things foreign to her usual 
thoughts. 



THE TREATMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 225 

Baptesia is a very useful remedy in all forms of low 
fever attended with coated tongue, fetid breath, and 
some form of delirium such as just described. 

Chamomilla. — This is the " baby's own medicine." It 
is useful in most of the nervous affections of infancy, 
and is especially useful during the teething period. 

The indications for its use are, great restlessness 
and desire to be carried, colic, excessive flatulence, 
one cheek red while the other is pale, greenish color of 
stools, cough which is worse at night. It is often ser- 
viceable by wetting the finger in the tincture of chamo- 
milla and rubbing the gums when the latter are swollen 
and tender. 

Calcarea Phos. — Very useful in children of a rickety 
turn, and also in those of a scrofulous constitution. A 
good remedy when the teeth are delayed, and for 
children who sweat about the head and are always 
taking cold. It is indicated when children are slow in 
development; they do not stand or walk early; tendency 
to grow fat, but not strong; in children with large 
heads, narrow chests, and big stomachs (" frog belly "). 

China. — Useful in complaints in which the system 
has been exhausted by loss of vital fluids, such as 
chronic diarrhoea; also when there is little or no appetite. 
Patient feels worse every other day; long, lasting, con- 
gestive headache, with noises in the ears; jaundice from 
malaria; tenderness over the liver; urine dark and 
scanty; intermittent fever, followed by profuse sweating. 

Camphor. — Useful in colds, colic, and especially in 
cholera and cholera infantum, and in acute catarrh. 
Symptoms, sudden and complete prostration of the vital 
forces, with great coldness of the surface of the body; 
long, lasting chill; cramps, with extremities cold and 
blue; retention of urine, cramps of legs, with vomiting 
and diarrhoea. 



226 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Colocynthis. — This is the prime colic remedy, and 
in simple colic will usually afford prompt relief. When 
the colic is produced by or complicated by constipa- 
tion, it may be alleviated with nux vomica. The guid- 
ing symptoms are cramping pains in the bowels; legs 
drawn up; child screams with pain, and will not be pac- 
ified; nursing only relieves for a few minutes; the 
more intense the pain the more colocynth is indicated. 

Gelsemium. — This is a remedy especially adapted to 
nerve pain, and is of great value in lieart-pang. It is 
applicable to cases of fright or fear, when the nervous 
system is unstrung. In impending convulsions it vies 
with belladonna in its power to ward them off. It is 
more especially adapted to nervous and excitable chil- 
dren, who are prone to imaginary terrors, and who can 
not sleep because they are full of all sorts of fancies. 
It is useful in cases of irregular action of the heart 
from fright or grief. 

Hepar Sulphur. — This is the great croup remedy. 
A few doses will often avert croup, especially if it be of 
the spasmodic variety. It is indicated in all cases of 
hoarseness; coughs which have a tight, shrill, metallic 
ring; chronic hoarseness, inflammations of the eyelids, 
lids glued together in the morning, catarrhal affections. 

It is also useful in affections of the glands, skin, and 
mucous membranes. 

It is the remedy in milk-crust, pimples, and boils 
which keep coming in successive crops. 

In croup it may be advantageously alternated with 
aconite if there be much fever, and with spongia in the 
absence of fever. 

Ipecac. — Nausea and vomiting are the prime indica- 
tions for ipecac. It is useful in all forms of indigestion, ' 
diarrhoea, and in the beginning of all eruptive diseases 
which are attended with either sickness of the stomach 



THE TREATMENT OF SICK CHILDREN. 227 

or vomiting. In whooping cough, when the child 
"throws up" every time it coughs, this remedy is of 
inestimable value. In this disease it should be alter- 
nated with belladonna or hyoscyamos, as indicated 
elsewhere. 

The guiding symptoms are prolonged nausea, retch- 
ing, and vomiting; diarrhoea with stools like yeast. 

Kali Bichromicum. — This remedy is of paramount 
importance in all forms of sore throat, but is more par- 
ticularly applicable to sore throat attended with ulcer- 
ation, offensive breath, and difficulty in swallowing. 
It is useful in catarrh, bronchitis, sore throat, and 
diphtheria. I recently sent out a circular of inquiry to 
a large number of homeopathic physicians, in order to 
ascertain certain facts as to their treatment of diph- 
theria. In this circular I asked, " What three remedies 
have you found most beneficial in diphtheria ? " Ninety- 
five per cent of my replies mentioned kali bichromicum 
as one of the leading remedies. In the list of remedies 
mercurius was its "running mate," if I may be allowed 
to use a sporting term. The guiding s}miptoms are, 
mouth filled with tough, stringy mucus; expectoration 
difficult, mucus streaked with blood, cough choking and 
croupy, worse in the morning; chronic hoarseness, 
membranous croup, fetid discharge from the nose in 
chronic catarrh, ulcers on tonsils, ulcerative tonsilitis. 

Mkrcurius. — This remedy is one of very wide appli- 
cation. It probably has a wider range of action than 
any other in the entire materia medica. And yet it is 
one which should be used carefully and with discrimi- 
nation. It is useful in all glandular affections and in all 
ailments involving the mucous membrane. In sore 
throat, with ulceration, foul breath, and swollen glands, 
it is the prince of remedies. In diphtheria it is the first 
and foremost medicine. Its chief indications are cold. 



228 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

clammy sweat; cough with, hoarseness, which is worse 
at night; tongue has a whitish coating, profuse flow of 
saliva, sore throat, fetid breath, teeth sore and loose 
in the gums, ulcerations in mouth or throat, gums 
bleed. It is a most useful remedy in the sore mouth 
of infants and children, and is particularly indicated if 
the gums are soft and swollen and have red edges next 
the teeth. 

Mercurius is indicated in nearly all affections of 
infants in which the symptoms are worse at night. 

Nux Vomica. — A valuable remedy in indigestion due 
to some indiscretion in eating, and more especially if 
there is much wind on the stomach. It is useful in 
constipation as well as in diarrhoea caused by improper 
kinds of food. 

It is of great service in colic, given in alternation 
with colocynth or chamomilla where there is belching 
or hiccough, and is all the more indicated if the abdo- 
men is tense, swollen, and hard. Nux vomica is one 
of those remedies which are difficult to understand, 
since it is equally useful in two opposite physical condi- 
tions, viz., constipation and diarrhoea. This difficulty 
will clear away if you understand that most, if not all, 
remedies have a primary as well as a secondary action. 
These effects are generally directly opposite to each 
other. Castor oil moves the bowels as a primary effect, 
but it constipates as its secondary effect. This subject 
is too complicated to be more than hinted at here, but 
it is a well-established fact in therapeutics that the 
same remedy may have a dual action and reach condi- 
tions equally well, but which are diametrically opposed 
to each other. 

Nux vomica is indicated in indigestion, whether there 
be constipation or diarrhoea, provided there is present 
with either condition colic, wind, and loss of appetite. 



/•///; TREATMEN1 OF SICK CHILDREN. 229 

Phosphorus. — This remedy is principally useful in the 
hard, dry, tickling cough which accompanies the first 
stageof bronchitis. Its chief indications are: dry, short, 
hacking cough, with scanty expectoration or none at 
all. The cough is the very antipodes of that loose, 
rattling cough which is characteristic of tartar emetic. 
We often have coughs in which these two features are 
combined. Sometimes the cough is loose, and mucus 
rattles in the bronchial tubes; and later the cough is 
light and dry, without expectoration. In such cases it 
is well to alternate these two remedies, giving each 
every half-hour. 

Rhus Toxicodendum. — This remedy is useful in 
nettle rash, rheumatism which is relieved by moving 
about, and in skin diseases characterized by burning 
and itching of the skin and the formation of small 
watery vesicles. 

It is valuable in that form of rheumatism which is 
worse from rest, which is directly opposite to the cases 
where bryonia is helpful. 

Rhus is good in affections which arise from getting 
wet or from exposure to cold and dampness. 

Spongia. — This remedy is regarded as almost a sov- 
ereign remedy in spasmodic croup, and is much used 
in whooping cough. Its indications are a dry, hoarse, 
hollow cough, voice reduced to a whisper, great dry- 
ness of throat and windpipe. 

It is usually alternated with Jicpar sulph. or aconite. 

Sulphur. — This remedy is by many physicians re- 
garded as the king of all. It is, indeed, a drug of mar- 
velous power. It is especially useful in chronic mala- 
dies which have resisted other drugs and have passed 
into the chronic stage. It is of little value in acute 
troubles. It is applicable to all chronic skin diseases, 
eruptions, boils, pimples, carbuncles, etc. It is used a 



230 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

great deal in diphtheria, the white flour of sulphur 
being blown into the diseased throat by means of a 
powder blower. 

It is useful in chronic diarrhoea and in persistent 
rheumatism. 

Veratrum Album. — This is a remedy of great value 
in diarrhoea attended by pain. It is never indicated 
in painless diarrhoea. 

It is useful in spasmodic asthma, colic, cholera in- 
fantum, and in low states of the system when pain and 
threatened collapse are both present. 

Tartar Emetic (Antimonim Tartaricum). — This 
remedy is especially useful in bronchitis attended with 
a filling up of the finer bronchial tubes (capillar}' bron- 
chitis). The symptoms are: very rapid breathing, lips 
blue, inability to nurse, pulse quick; cough, after being 
present, has disappeared; indeed, what was bronchitis 
is now catarrhal pneumonia. In these cases tartar 
emetic, alternated with phosphorus or aconite, will 
often work wonders. The more the finer tubes of the 
lungs are filled up, the more this remedy is indicated. 

It is a remedy, however, which has a limited range 
of applicability, but when indicated it is of great power. 

Permanganate of Potash. — This remedy is not to 
be used for internal administration, although it is better 
known as an antidote to a poison (opium) than as a 
poison itself. It is, however, a drug of incalculable 
value as an antiseptic and deodorant. Only two or 
three crystals are necessary to use at a time, dissolved 
in a glassful of water. This infinitesimal amount of 
the crude drug so thoroughly diluted has been my 
favorite local remedy for sore throats for over thirty 
years. With young infants it must be used in a spray 
or with a swab ; the former method is much preferable. 
Older children may use it as a gargle. It makes a 



/ X )S T-1'A R T L M EMERGENCIES. 231 

beautiful color when used in this strength, but its taste 
is somewhat brackish. I never recommend it to little 
folks for its taste, but they can usually be induced to 
use it on account of its beautiful color. 

Whether sprayed in the throat or used as a gargle, it 
takes away all fetor of breath, allays inflammation of 
the mucous membrane, and is the best local application 
in sore throats that I have ever found. 

It stains linen badly and hopelessly, so that care 
must be used in its administration. 



CHAPTER III. 

POST-PARTUM EMERGENCIES. 

Is it true that a cJiild bom at the eigJith month is less 
likely to live than one born at the seventh ? 

No ; this is an old woman's notion, and entirely des- 
titute of truth. The nearer the child approaches to 
the full term the greater chances it has of living. 

Is there any chance at all of a child living born at six 
months f 

Children born before the seventh month rarely sur- 
vive, although there have been cases of survival as 
early as six and a half months. 

What special treatment do such cases require f 
Their principal requirement is warmth. The mater- 
nity hospitals have a special apparatus called an incu- 
bator or brooder, which is especially devised for main- 
taining a proper temperature, but in a private family 
the same end can be accomplished by swathing the 
infant in warm cotton and placing it near the fire. It 



232 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

should be surrounded with hot-water bottles and bags, 
changed often enough to maintain a temperature of 98 

to IOO°. 

Premature children and weaklings do not bear much 
bathing, as they are very easily chilled. They should 
be oiled, and if bathed at all the water should be very 
warm — no°. Some whisky or alcohol should be put 
into the water. If the debility is extreme it will doubt- 
less be too feeble to nurse, in which case the milk must 
be. drawn from the mother's breast into a warm glass 
by gently stroking the breast and pressing outward on 
the nipple. A few drops of the milk should be given the 
baby every little while. Should there be no secretion 
of milk, hot whisky and water may be given with a 
little sugar added. The proper proportion would be, 
one teaspoonful of whisky or brandy to five teaspoon- 
fuls of hot water. One teaspoonful of the mixture, 
slightly sweetened, may be given every hour, or even 
oftener in extreme cases. This procedure has saved 
the lives of many premature infants. 

Should such a child be fed with a spoon I 

Either that or, better still, with a glass medicine 
dropper. 

But a baby can not live for long on a diet of whisky 
and ivatcr ? 

Quite true; but this stimulant, judiciously used, will 
keep up the bodily warmth, and with the mother's milk 
will soon create strength enough to enable the baby to 
nurse. After the first few hours a little diluted cream 
from cow's milk can be used in alternation with the 
whisky. If the mother's milk does not come promptly, 
a young wet nurse should be obtained, if possible, and 
her milk given by spoon or dropper if necessary. 



POSTPARTUM EMERGENCIES. 233 

Do you think it possible for these puny weaklings ever 
to become strong and ivellf 

Mothers of delicate and puny babies need not 
despair. The excessively weak condition of Voltaire 
prevented his being - baptized for several months after 
he was born. Perhaps he protested at that early age. 
Newton was so small and frail at his birth that his life 
was despaired of. He lived, however, like Voltaire, to 
the age of eighty-five. Jean Jacques Rousseau says: 
" I came into the world sick and infirm." Up to the age 
of five the life of De Thou, the historian (born in 1553), 
hung by a slender thread. Fontenelle, whose mental 
faculties remained unimpaired to the end of his long 
life — he died within a month of being a centenarian — 
was so delicate in his infancy that he was not allowed to 
be taken out into the open air. Walter Scott was an 
invalid before the age of two. His right leg being 
paralyzed, the poor little fellow had to support himself 
on a crutch. After being sent into the hill country with 
his father he came back strong and active. And Victor 
Hugo has told us in his "Autumn Leaves " how deli- 
cate he was from his birth, and what anxious solicitude 
made him " twice the child of his persistent mother." 

What causes a nezu-boru child to bleed from the navel? 

It is because the cord was either carelessly tied, or, 
from being unusually large, the ligature does not 
properly close the blood vessels. 

What should be done in such a case ? 

The infant's clothing and binder should be removed, 
and the cord exposed and retied near the body. A 
half-dozen strands of stout linen thread should be 
twisted into a string for the purpose. It should be 
drawn tightly, but not enough so to cut through the 
cord. 



234 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

When should the cord come off? 

Between the fifth and fifteenth day after delivery, 
and it should never be disturbed to hasten its falling, 
for fear of hemorrhage. 

Does the navel require any after -dressing? 

Occasionally, after the cord falls off, a small excres- 
cence, about as- large as a pea, appears on the navel, 
which gives rise to a thin liquid. This should be 
dusted with a little powdered alum, and then dressed 
with zinc ointment or vaseline. 

What causes jaundice in a new-born infant ? 

Real jaundice is very rare in early infancy, but there 
is frequently a discoloration of the skin, especially 
after a tedious labor, which closely resembles it. It is 
not, however, a serious trouble, , and will disappear of 
itself in the course of a week or ten days. In true 
jaundice the whites of the eyes are stained yellow, and 
the urine is very highly colored. 

What is to be done in case of retention of urine or 
feces ? 

In case the bladder and bowels are not evacuated 
within twelve hours after birth, the physician should 
be notified, but, pending his arrival, it will be quite 
proper to place the child in a warm bath — i io°. Often- 
times it will suffice to lay a piece of flannel, wrung out 
of hot water, over the lower portion of the abdomen. 
Unless there be some physical malformation, no alarm 
need be felt if the urine is not voided for twenty-four 
hours. 

What is to be done when phlegm gathers in the throat 
of a young babe, so that in its efforts to raise it, his face 
turns blue, and his eyes bulge ? 



POST-PARTUM EMERGENCIES. 235 

Twist an end of your handkerchief around your 
index finger, and quickly, but gently, wipe out the 
throat with it. 

What is to be done when the babe's breasts swell and 
contain milk ? 

Let them alone. If the swelling is only moderate it 
will do no harm, and will soon pass away. Any 
attempt to remove the secretion by pressure will lead 
to inflammation. If the surface is red, and the breasts 
are swollen or painful, hard and tender to the touch, 
apply cloths wrung out of hot water and witch hazel, 
half and half. 

How can I tell if my infant is tongue-tied? 

Where an infant is tongue-tied, the bridle beneath 
the tongue is either too short, or it is attached so near 
the tip of the tongue as to interfere with the move- 
ment of that organ in sucking. If the child is able to 
protrude the tip of the tongue beyond the lips, or if it is 
able to draw on the nipple sufficiently to draw the 
milk, you need have no fear of tongue-tie. 

But if it can not suckle from this cause, what am I 
to do ? 

The bridle will have to be nicked with a pair of 
blunt-pointed scissors. There is considerable danger, 
however, of cutting a small artery at the base of the 
bridle, so that only an expert should attempt this 
operation. 

Are all babies born bow-legged? 

To a certain extent they are, and they have the 
peculiar monkey-like power of turning their feet 
inward, but this must be distinguished from such real 
deformities as club feet, etc. 



236 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



CHAPTER IV. 

OPHTHALMIA (SORE EYES). 

What causes a new-born babe to have sore eyes ? 

Some error in the management of the baby soon 
after birth is the foundation of all cases of sore eyes in 
new-born infants unless it be of specific origin. If the 
babe is bathed in soap and water soon after birth, 
which it should not be, the soap is apt to get into the 
eyes, causing irritation and inflammation. The secre- 
tions from the mother are sometimes acrid and irritat- 
ing, and unless carefully and completely washed away 
may give rise to inflammation. Too much light in the 
nursery from windows or from artificial light is another 
fruitful source of ophthalmia. Carelessness in the use 
of towels or rags which have been used about the 
mother, and which have become stained with the 
discharges ; dust from an ill-kept room and cold from 
exposure to draughts of air, are also prolific causes. 

What is the technical term for this affection ? 

Ophthalmia neonatorum, or inflammation of the eyes 
of a new-born infant. It is sometimes called, also, 
purulent ophthalmia. 

Who i is it most likely to appear ? 
From two to five days after birth. 

Is it dangerous ? 

It is estimated that over 70 per cent of all persons 
who become blind during the first year of life become 
so from this disease. 



OPHTHALMIA. 231 

Can it always be prevented f 

Just as surely as any non-contagious disease can be 
prevented. Nothing else but ignorance or carelessness 
permits the calamity. 

What arc t lie first symptoms? 

Any thick secretion about the eyes which glues the 
lids together is suspicious. The eyelids should be 
gently separated at each bath and carefully examined 
to see if there is any evidence of inflammation. At 
first there may be only a slight redness of the margin 
of the lids, but even this should not pass unnoticed, 
nor be neglected for a moment. Usually the inflam- 
mation begins during sleep, and, on waking, the infant 
either shows intolerance of light or the eyelids are 
stuck together. On separating the lids a drop of pus 
will be found at the angle of the eye and possibly on 
the inner surface of the lower lids. Soon after this the 
lids swell and often become greatly puffed up, and the 
eye itself becomes red. Within a very few hours there 
is an abundant secretion of thick discharge, which 
pours out whenever the lids are separated. It is often 
impossible to separate the lids without using warm or 
hot water, and even then the operation is attended 
with pain. 

Is this secretion from the baby's eyes infections f 
It is very infectious, so much so that the nurse or 
attendant must exercise the greatest care or her own 
eyes will be affected. The cloths used in treating and 
cleaning the eyes should be burned, and the hands of 
the attendant should be thoroughly washed and dis- 
infected after each handling. 

Is there more than one kind of ophthalmia neona- 
torum f 

16 



238 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Yes, but the symptoms are so nearly alike during the 
first few hours that it would be dangerous to consider 
any case otherwise than serious. 

What are the first remedies to be used f 

The eyes must be kept scrupulously clean, and the 
pus must be washed away as fast as it is secreted. To 
do this properly the baby should be held on the lap, 
with the head inclined backward and toward the dis- 
eased side. The lids must then be gently separated and 
cleansed with some antiseptic lotion. Absorbent cotton 
should be used as a sponge. After the pus has been 
washed awa3 r , some eye-wash should be used, either 
with a fresh camel's-hair pencil or, still better, an " eye- 
dropper." This consists of an ordinary medicine drop- 
per, with a small rubber bulb, but with the glass point 
smooth and rounded, or bulbous (like an ear syringe), to 
prevent accident. The lotion should enter the eye at 
the corner or angle next the nose. The object of in- 
clining the head toward the diseased side is to prevent 
the medicated lotion from invading the well eye. The 
sticking of the lids together may be prevented by care- 
fully anointing the edges of the lids with a little vaseline. 

What are the best remedies for this affection ? 

In the beginning there is no better eye-wash than 
powdered borax or boracic acid — half a teaspoonful to 
a teacupf ul of warm water. In mild cases taken in their 
incipiency, this lotion applied frequently — every time 
the baby nurses — will often be all-sufficient. If no im- 
provement is noticed after twenty-four hours, a physi- 
cian should be summoned, for the case will need more 
active treatment, which only a skillful doctor should 
undertake. 

Is it common for both eyes to be affected or is only one 
usually involved? 



INFLAMMATION OF THE EARS. 230 

As a rule both eyes are simultaneously involved or 
both are affected in rapid succession. At times, how- 
ever, one eye remains free from infection. 

Wliat is the usual duration of t lie disease? 

From a few days to several weeks. If neglected or 
improperly treated, it may last for months. 

Are there any internal remedies which should be 
administered f 

Aconite, sulphur, mercurius sol., or argentum nitri- 
cum. It will be useless, however, to depend on inter- 
nal remedies unless scrupulous cleanliness is also ob- 
served. In this affection local measures are paramount 
to those internally administered. This applies, of course, 
only to such cases as are non-specific. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE EARS. 

What are the symptoms of earache, and how can it be 
told from pain elsewhere ? 

It is sometimes very puzzling to diagnose pain in the 
ear. The chief symptom is loud and persistent crying, 
which nothing can pacify. It often develops suddenly 
in the night, after a perfectly well day, or possibly 
after a slight cold in nose or throat. If an infant is old 
enough to locate its suffering it will raise its hand to 
the affected ear. There is usually some fever, but not 
always. The pain may be of brief duration, or may 
last for several days. It is usually paroxysmal. Of 
course the pain is only a symptom and may mean only 
a passing inflammation, but very often the inflammation 
results in the formation of pus, which perforates the 
drum membrane, and is discharged with the immediate 
relief of the pain. The discharge often has a very foul 
odor. 



240 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Docs this inflammation ever cause deafness ? 

It frequently causes deafness, and should never be 
treated for any considerable length of time without 
consulting- a physician. 

Is there any other danger in such cases, except that of 
deafness ? 

If pus is formed and does not find a ready outlet, 
there is danger of its affecting the surrounding bones, 
and ultimately the brain. 

Is it proper to syringe the ear under these circumstances ? 

In cases of discharge from the ear the mother may 
use a syringe with warm water as often as may be 
necessary to keep the ear clean, but under no circum- 
stances should she use a probe or employ force to clear 
away the discharge. 

Should cotton plugs be used in inflammation of the ear ? 

Only if the child is going into the open air. The 
discharge of pus should have free exit, and under no 
circumstances should it be locked up in the auditory 
canal. 

What remedies zvould you suggest ? 

Apply a hot-water bag or dry, hot flannel. Syringing 
the ear with water as hot as can be borne will often 
afford relief. It is unsafe to drop any medicine into 
the ear without the advice of a physician. 

What homeopathic remedy should be employed? 

Aconite, belladonna, mercurius sol., pulsatilla. Aco- 
nite is especially indicated in the beginning, and when 
the trouble presumably arises from cold. Mercurius 
should be given when suppuration is impending or has 
already begun. Pulsatilla is a most excellent remedy 
if the pain is neuralgic in character, intermittent, and 
without fever. 



colic. 24 1 

COLIC. 

Why do so many infants stiff cr from colic f 
Chiefly because they are illy fed, for colic is invari- 
ably caused by indigestion. 

But why should a nursing baby have indigestion f 
Sometimes from some indiscretion on the part of the 
mother which disturbs her stomach, but more often 
from too frequent nursing. A baby that is nursed 
irregularly, and given the breast to pacify it every 
time it cries, will be pretty sure to have colic. Bottle- 
fed babies are especially prone to these disorders. 

Is colic ever dangerous ? 

Yes, the crying is sometimes so violent as to produce 
rupture, and is also sometimes so prolonged as to cause 
collapse from exhaustion. 

At what age is colic most frequent I 
From birth to the close of the third month. It may, 
however, occur at any period of infancy and childhood. 

WJiat are the symptoms of colic f 

Sudden and violent outbursts of crying — crying 
which continues until the child is blue in the face, 
and the extremities are cold from exhaustion. The 
abdomen is swollen, tense, and hard. The child doubles 
up its legs and clenches its fists, and then straightens 
them out with violent jerks. These symptoms last a 
variable time and then cease, often after a passage of 
wind from mouth or bowels. 

How can such attacks be prevented? 

By regulating the frequency and quantity of the 
food, or possibly by changing the food if the child is 
being bottle-fed. In some cases the colic is caused by 
chilling of the skin, in which case attention should be 



242 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

given to the clothing. If the flannel belly-band has 
been discarded, it should be replaced. The feet and 
legs should be kept especially warm. 

Should a baby with colic be nursed, if nursing affords 
relief? 

It is generally the worst thing you could do. The 
colic in most cases is primarily due to the fermentation 
of food already taken. Fresh, warm food affords tem- 
porary relief, but in the end only protracts and aggra- 
vates the disturbance. It is like adding fresh fuel to 
a fire already started. Better by far give the colicky 
baby some hot water, and suspend feeding until the 
paroxysm is over, and then make the intervals of 
feeding more regular, and diminish the quantity im- 
bibed. 

If a baby has not had colic during the first three or 
four months, is it likely to have it afterward? 

Colic is always a sign of indigestion. Some babies 
have weak digestion from the first, and hence are 
troubled with colic. While an infant is more likely to 
have colic during the early months of its life, indiges- 
tion occurring later might easily produce it at any age. 

What is the proper treatment for colic ? 

First remove the cause, in so far as it can be ascer- 
tained. Rubbing the abdomen with the hand will 
often assist the expulsion of the confined gas; so will 
change of position. Place the baby on its stomach 
across your knees, or lift it over your shoulder so as to 
make gentle pressure on the distended abdomen. 
Sometimes the injection into the rectum of a few 
ounces of hot water will afford relief. Rubbing the 
feet, if they are cold, is another useful expedient. If 
the pain is so severe as to threaten collapse, put ten 



COLIC. 243 

drops o\ : gin or brandy into a little hot water, sweet- 
ened, and give at frequent intervals until the paroxysm 
is over. Peppermint water or cinnamon water is also 
permissible. 

A very effectual domestic remedy is soda mint mixed 
with an equal quantity of hot water. It may be given 
every half-hour or oftener in urgent cases. The follow- 
ing is the recipe for making: 

Soda Mint. — Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 
one-half drachm; aromatic spirits of ammonia, one-half 
drachm; spearmint or peppermint water, enough to 
make two fluid ounces. 

Constantly recurring colic, not relieved, or prevented 
by the means already described, should be given one of 
the following remedies; indeed, they may supersede 
those measures or be combined with them. The lead- 
ing remedies are colocynthis,* chamomilla, and mix 
vomica, and their relative value is generally in the order 
named. In some cases resort should be had to the hot 
full baths, and it would always be well, in persistent or 
obstinate cases, to summon a physician. Before the 
days of safety pins it was not uncommon for the busy 
doctor to find that a pin in diaper or gown was prod- 
ding the infant's anatomy, and the cry elicited in con- 
sequence so simulated that of colic as to " deceive the 
very elect " — all save the doctor. ■ 

There are numerous patent remedies — soothing syrups, 
cordials, etc. — which are extensively advertised, and 
which are said to relieve pain of all kinds in an infant. 
Do you approve of them f 

There is not one of these patent medicines but owes 

* My friend, Dr. N. F. Cooke, now deceased, used to laugh- 
ingly say that this was a most happy affiliation of name and 
remedy, but that it ought to be pronounced " colick-cynth." 



244 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

its efficacy in allaying pain to opium, chloral, hasheesh, 
or some other powerful narcotic, which would be dan- 
gerous if taken by an adult, and which is poison to the 
delicate nervous system of an infant. A very large 
percentage of the mortality in infancy is directly 
attributable to the use of these drugs. . It matters not 
that the advertisements of these nostrums state that 
they contain no opium nor anything detrimental to the 
health of the child. The vendors of such drugs are 
unscrupulous. Their statements are notoriously false. 
They are all harmful, without a single exception, and all 
dangerous in direct ratio to the youthfulness of the 
patient. I have known of several deaths of very young 
babes from a few drops of paregoric, and all prepara- 
tions of opium are well known to be exceedingly peril- 
ous when given to very young children. These patent 
preparations should never be given, and opium in all 
forms should be left to the physician to prescribe as he 
may see fit in his judgment and experience. 

SORE MOUTH (STOMATITIS). 

Wliat causes sore montJi in infants ? 

The causes of inflammation of the mouth — or stom- 
atitis, as it is technically called — are various. Any 
derangement of the stomach is liable to cause it. 
Uncleanliness — that is, failure to wash the mouth after 
each feeding — is probably the most common cause. 
Whether the child nurses the breast or is bottle-fed, 
its mouth should be washed out with a soft rag and 
some alkaline fluid as soon as it has finished its meal. 

What wash is best ? 

Listerine is very good; so is bicarbonate of soda in 
the proportion of ten grains to the ounce of water. In 
the absence of these, simply washing the mouth and 



SORE MOLT!/. 245 

gums with boiled or distilled water will answer very 
well. 

Is there more than one variety of sore month t 
Yes, but for all practical purposes they will all be 
classed as one and the same. The foundation of all is 
simple inflammation, which is attended by increased heat 
and tenderness of the mouth, so that nursing is painful 
and the nipple is dropped with an outcry. In some 
cases the mouth is dry and hot, while in other cases it 
is moist from an increased flow of saliva. In most 
cases the mucous membrane lining the mouth is red- 
dened, but not uniformly, the inflammation being local- 
ized in spots or patches of variable size. The edges of 
these spots are slightly raised above the surface. In 
the aptkous variety of stomatitis, little shallow ulcers 
form over the -tongue, palate, and inside lining of the 
lips and cheeks. These ulcers at first often look like 
pearl drops under the mucous membrane, but very soon 
they break down and become cup-shaped. They render 
the mouth very painful, so that the baby cries when- 
ever any attempt is made to nurse or eat. 

How long does tills condition last ? 

From a few days to several weeks. 

J That is thrus/i f 

This is an inflammation of the mouth in which there 
are patches of curd-like exudations scattered here and 
there on the gums, lips, and sometimes on the palate 
and tongue. 

What causes this ? 

It is parasitic in its origin, and is always due to 
uncleanliness. Either the nursing bottle is not kept 
clean, or the mouth is not washed out as it should 
be after each feeding. It is commonly associated with 



246 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

some disturbance of digestion, and is frequently at- 
tended with vomiting and diarrhoea. It is distinctly 
contagious. 

What are the symptoms ? 

Feverishness, fretfulness, indisposition to nurse, in- 
creased flow of saliva, colic, and oftentimes diarrhoea. 
The mouth shows patches of curd-like matter, and 
everything taken into the mouth provokes a cry. 

■ Arc there any other forms of inflammation of the 
month ? 

From simple redness of the mucous lining of the 
mouth there are all grades of inflammation, even to the 
ulcers, in which the mucous membrane is streaked with 
ulcerous lines. And there is yet another form, worse 
still, which is called gangrene. The latter form is 
very rare, but occurs often enough to make all forms of 
inflammation affecting the mouth worthy of serious 
attention. If the mildest form of stomatitis does not 
yield to simple remedies it should be referred to a 
competent physician as soon as possible. 

What are the first and usual remedies to be employed ? 

Greater cleanliness in regard to all matters of food; 
the nursing bottle, especially, and the rubber nipple 
should receive more attention. The mouth itself 
should be washed every two or three hours with a 
solution of boric acid, using the finger, covered with a 
soft piece of linen. 

The following is a good recipe : Boric acid, half 
ounce; distilled water, one pint. Or the following may 
be used: Strained honey, three teaspoonfuls; borax, 
powdered, one teaspoonf ul. Or, glycerine, one ounce; 
distilled water, one ounce; boric acid, two drachms. 

Hydrastis diluted one-half with water makes an 



DISORDERS OF DENTITION. 247 

admirable mouth-wash. A weak solution of alum is 
also sometimes useful. 

Is sore mouth ever attended with danger ? 

It usually is not serious if the infant is otherwise 
well, but if a weakling or just recovering from some 
acute disease, it may prove serious as a complication. 
Thrush is attended by danger from its proneness to 
extend from the mouth to the stomach, and it occasion- 
ally goes the whole length of the alimentary canal, 
even to implicating the anus. 

WJiat medicines are useful in this affection ? 
Mercurius sol., aconite, nux vomica, and arsenicum. 



CHAPTER V. 

DISORDERS OF DENTITION. 

What diseases or disorders is a baby liable to while 
cutting its teeth ? 

It has already been stated that dentition is a physio- 
logical and not a pathological process. A perfectly 
healthy baby should get his teeth by a process of un- 
conscious evolution. This, however, is purely theoret- 
ical. Practically every child experiences more or less 
pain and discomfort during teething, and in some cases 
the teeth come with considerable constitutional dis- 
turbance. In some instances there is more or less fever 
or feverishness just before the teeth are cut, and some- 
times there is vomiting and diarrhoea. At times there 
is a certain amount of catarrhal inflammation of the 
gums. (See Stomatitis.) In many cases there is an 
eruption on the skin, called " red gum." Restlessness, 



248 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

irritability, or other nervous symptoms are very apt to 
be present just before a tooth is cut, and it is often 
astonishing how soon these symptoms disappear after 
the tooth is once through the gum. 

If the teeth are slow in coming, are tJiere any means of 
helping them along ? 

Dentition is often delayed by a deficiency of lime in 
the baby's food. In order to make bone, the child 
must have lime. This is one reason why lime water is 
so generally prescribed by physicians as an addition to 
the infant's milk. There is still another reason why 
lime water or soda is useful in these cases. Where 
there is too much acid in the system the lime is pre- 
vented from being formed into bone, and hence an alkali 
is needed to neutralize the excess. Better than either 
lime water or soda under these circumstances is our 
homeopathic medicine, calcarea ear/?., which, in fact, is 
the carbonate of lime. A tablet of this given three or 
four times daily will promote teething and help the 
teeth to come in regular order. It also tends to pre- 
vent premature decay of the teeth by correcting excess- 
ive acidity of the stomach. 

But if the feeding of the baby is correct I should 
think there would be no occasion for giving either lime 
water or soda to promote teething f 

You are quite correct. If the food contains the 
proper amount of earthy salts there is no need of any 
addition of these elements. But experience shows that 
babies fed on milk alone for too long a period do not 
get a due supply of these earthy salts. All of the 
cereal foods, barley, oats, wheat, etc., contain them in 
considerable quantities, and this is a reason, in addition 
to those already given, why the cereal foods are essen- 
tial to a baby's welfare. 



DISORDERS OF DENTITION. 249 

Hut [ can not understand the connection between 
teething and diarrhcea ? 

It is through the sympathetic system of nerves, by 
means of which an irritation at one point is reflected to 
another. Adults often have headaches, whose origin 
is in the stomach — a sort of stomach-ache in the head. 
An irritation in the baby's mouth from teething- may 
be thus transmitted to the bowels, causing diarrhcea, or 
to the brain, producing convulsions. In other cases the 
pneumogastric nerve is involved and the child has a 
" teething cough " — a purely irritative cough. 

Is it well, then, to check the diarrlioca which accompa- 
nies teething? 

You should never check any form of diarrhoea 
directly, for the diarrhoea itself is not the disease — it is 
only a symptom. You would not think of plugging up 
the nose when an infant has catarrh. No more should 
you check the bowels by using paregoric or astringents. 
The increase in the number of evacuations, and their 
altered character, are due to congestion and irritation 
somewhere in the system, which Nature is seeking to 
relieve by opening wider the sluiceways. In other 
words, the diarrhoea is only an effect of some morbid 
condition, perhaps quite remote from the bowels, and 
it may properly be regarded as a signal by which 
Nature indicates her method of operating for the relief 
of congestion by the expulsion of morbid matter, and 
should suggest to those who would lend a hand what 
measures are most appropriate — most in the line of 
Nature herself. 

But you woitld not give castor oil or other laxatives in 
such cases, would you f 

Such treatment would be far better than to lock up 



250 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

the bowels by means of opium, or such astringents as 
" chalk mixture" etc. 

But these and similar remedies afford temporary 
relief, do they not f 

Oh, yes, the urgent symptoms are usually promptly 
allayed by their use. The child may go to sleep, and 
the bowel movements may cease for a time. But watch 
the result. While under the influence of these drugs 
there is mere palliation; the channels by which Nature 
was seeking to drain off noxious secretions are closed 
up, while the disease proper is gathering fresh force 
and extending its irritating influence to other and 
perhaps more vital parts, as the brain, for example. 
Soon there is high fever, the stomach shows disturbance, 
and no food can be retained. The narcotic or the 
astringent has done in such cases no permanent good, 
but has complicated matters, and in the end done 
positive harm. 

What, then, is the better treatment for the disorders of 
teething ? 

Favor free bowel movements by using hot water 
enemata. Do this in spite of simple diarrhoea. Use 
the water as hot as your own hand will bear without 
discomfort, or if you have a thermometer make the 
enema 106 F. Then give the baby an occasional hot, 
full bath. There is nothing more soothing. After the 
bath and a good rubbing, as directed under the head of 
bathing, place the baby in bed and encourage a sound 
sleep. If the gums are hot and swollen they may 
need lancing. If not, rub them gently with the finger 
for a little time. Sometimes it is well to rub the gums 
with a little witch hazel or hydrastis. 

What internal remedies are beneficial under these 
circumstances f 



DISORDERS OF DENTITION. 251 

For the fretfulness and sleeplessness which accom- 
panies teething, give belladonna or chamomilla; or 

aconite, if there be any indications of feverishness. 
For the diarrhoea, give the appropriate homeopathic 
remedy according- to the symptoms as delineated 
under the head of diarrhoea (see next chapter). The 
diarrhoeas of infancy are so common and are due to so 
many diverse causes that a special chapter will be 
devoted to their consideration. Let me say just here, 
however, that chamomilla is emphatically the baby's 
own medicine, and for many of its minor ailments, such 
as sleeplessness, colic, and diarrhoea while teething, its 
virtues can not be too highly extolled. With cJiamo- 
milla for restlessness and colic, aconite for ephemeral 
fevers, belladonna for cerebral excitement, and mix 
vomica for indigestion, flatulence, constipation, etc., the 
nursery medicine chest will be fairly well equipped 
although all of the other bottles are empty. 

During teething if the baby is especially ill, great 
care must be taken with the food, especially if the 
infant is being bottle-fed. Make the food thinner and 
give less of it at each feeding. If the ordinary food is 
rejected give diluted cream, or cream and barley water. 
Raw-meat juice in very small quantities is sometimes 
well borne when other foods are not tolerated. 

Is change of air sometimes desirable in these cases ? 

If the baby is being reared in the city and the 
weather is hot, great good often comes from a trip to 
the country. Even the change of a few miles is bene- 
ficial. A sick baby taken into the country receives a 
double advantage; it not only breathes purer, fresher 
air, but only in the country can fresh cow's milk 
be obtained. The milk consumed by city children is 
always twenty-four and oftener thirty-six hours old. 



252 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

This statement is not made at random, but is based on 
the reports of the milk inspectors connected with the 
Bureau of Health in Chicago. You can readily see 
that such milk is hardly fit for the stomach of a delicate 
infant. There is still another advantage of country 
life for a sick baby. The city is full of all sorts of 
bustle and noise, which can not help but irritate sensi- 
tive nerves, and aggravate incipient trouble in the 
delicate organism of a young child. A sick baby needs 
quiet and freedom from excitement, and this can best 
be secured in the country. 

In making a change from city to country for the baby's 
welfare, is it necessary to make a radical one — that is, 
to go far azvay from home ? 

Writing from my own home standpoint — Chicago — 
I have often seen great benefit result from a very 
slight, change. For example, I have watched the 
effect upon poor babies during the hot summer of 
giving them a boat-ride on Lake Michigan, and 
more especially the salutary influences of keeping 
them during the heat of the day on or near the 
water.* 

*Some years ago my friend, Mr. Victor F. Lawson, editor and 
proprietor of the Chicago Daily News, opened a sanitarium on the 
lake shore, near Lincoln Park, for the care of infants and children 
during the hot summer months. Children are brought here 
in the morning, are fed and cared for during the day, and return 
home at night. Nurses and physicians are in attendance, but 
very little medicine is given, the main dependence being placed 
on good, wholesome food and the beneficial effects of the pure lake 
breezes. It is astonishing how many sick babies pick up and grow 
steadily better under these benign influences. I have repeatedly 
seen the good effects, in my private practice, of sending infants 
affected with summer complaint or marasmus, on the water for 
a daily trip. The value of the fresh, bracing air of the lake is, in 
most cases, quickly apparent. 



DIARRHCEA. 253 

In seeking a radical change of residence for a sick 
baby, would you advise a removal to the mountains or to 
tlie seashore ? 

It would require a volume as large as this to ade- 
quately answer this question. The science of clima- 
tology is in a state of evolution, with little reliable data 
upon which to base judgment regarding the proper 
or the most desirable climate for an individual case. 
This statement is quite true as applicable to invalid 
adults, and is doubly true as regards infants. In a 
general way it may be stated that a dry and equable 
climate is more wholesome than a moist and changeable 
one. The west coast of Florida is nearly ideal. So is 
Pecos Valley, N. M. It is said on good authority that 
75 per cent of consumptives are restored to health by 
a sojourn at Las Vegas. As regards mountains vs. sea- 
shore, it must be borne in mind that mountain air s 
while bracing, is more changeable than that at sea- 
level. Heart troubles do better at tide-level than in 
the mountains where the air is more rare. Lung 
troubles often improve at high altitudes, if the air is 
dry like that in the Alleghanies or Colorado. 



CHAPTER VI. 

DIARRHCEA. 

Titer e are, of course, other causes for the diarrhcea of 
infancy besides teething ; zv ill yon mention some of than ? 

Besides teething and improper food, cold is a large 
factor in the causation of diarrhcea. Improper clothing 
is frequently responsible for diarrhcea, as well as other 
illnesses in early life. The flannel belly-band is dis- 

17 



254 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

carded too early in many instances. The legs are left 
bare for several inches by the short socks or bootees 
which are worn. The fashion of dressing children in a 
way that leaves their legs and knees bare cannot be too 
severely condemned. As soon as the baby's clothes are 
" shortened," say at five or six months of age, long 
stockings should be put on and the bootees should be 
replaced by slippers or shoes of leather. Unless this is 
done, the bare portion of the leg is exposed to constant 
chilling, and a cold surface is always a source of danger. 
The child's body is very easily chilled, and the bad 
effects of the protracted abstraction of bodily heat are 
well known to every experienced physician, and should 
be known to the laity as well. Whenever the surface 
of the body is exposed to cold air, the blood which 
should circulate in the skin is driven to the interior of 
the body, where it produces congestion or inflammation 
of the mucous surfaces, or disturbances of other internal 
organs. It is largely from this cause that we have 
catarrh, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and often bronchitis 
or pneumonia. Because your friend Mrs. So-and-So ex- 
poses her baby's legs, and it lives, and apparently thrives, 
is no reason why you should do it. Her baby may be 
more robust than yours, and may endure the cold better. 

Are all cases of diarrJioea in infants to be treated 
alike ? 

In the beginning, yes. If the condition persists more 
than twenty-four hours you should no longer rely upon 
home treatment, for in infants diarrhoea may rapidly 
assume the features of cholera infantum and be dan- 
gerous. There are two things you should do in the 
beginning of every case of diarrhoea in infancy — give a 
laxative and dilute or stop entirely the feeding of milk. 

The condition, as I have said, is due to indigestion, 
and the first indication is to sweep the bowels clean of 



DIARRHCEA. 255 

the fermenting- food. The best laxative for this purpose 
is castor oil. The next most obvious indication is to 
refrain from putting more of the same sort of food into 
the digestive tract. It is almost impossible to cure a 
brisk case of diarrhoea in a milk-fed baby as long as milk 
is continued as a food. The safest plan is to stop it 
altogether for twenty-four hours and to substitute 
barley water, albumen water, etc. After the bowels 
have been thoroughly evacuated from the castor oil you 
may properly select your remedy and give it. 

How many stools slwuld a healthy baby have during 
its first month ? 

From two to four in the twenty-four hours. After 
this period, and during the first year, the daily average of 
stools should be at least two, and a hearty child may 
have double this number without any cause for appre- 
hension, provided the character of the discharges is 
normal and the increase of body- weight is maintained. 

As to character of stools, immediately after birth 
they are dark green or brown, or even black in color, 
due to the "meconium." Later on the discharges are of 
a soft, papescent character, light yellow in color, and 
devoid of fetor. Throughout infancy they are still soft, 
more frequent than in adult life, and yellow or of light 
brownish hue. Normal stools in infancy are homo- 
geneous in character, whatever the consistency or color. 

What does a divergence from this character of stool 
indicate ? 

Light gray or clay-colored stools denote an absence 
of bile, which may be due to an obstruction in the bile- 
duct or may indicate some other hepatic disease. In 
chronic diarrhoea the stools are thin, dark brown, and 
intolerably fetid. Meat juice, especially the meat 
extracts, give to the stools a dark color and great fetor, 



256 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

The dark-green color of the stools is due to bile, 
which is turned green by the acid character of the 
intestinal secretions. 

Frothy, sour-smelling discharges from the bowels, of 
a light yellow or slightly green color, indicate a disturb- 
ance of the digestive function, and arise generally 
from overfeeding or improper food. 

Discharges of slimy mucus occur in irritations of the 
bowels from worms or teething, or sometimes from an 
increase of the mucous exhalations of the follicles of 
the intestines, caused by the impression of cold upon 
the surface. 

Repeated discharges of viscid mucus, occasionally 
streaked with blood, or of a greenish fluid, mixed with 
small masses resembling the curd of milk, are frequent 
in most of the inflammatory affections of the bowels. 

A deep green color of the stools, the discharges 
resembling chopped grass or spinach, is generally a 
symptom of reflex irritation of the stomach or intes- 
tines, as from teething, or it may be more serious, and 
may be a symptom of serious disease of these organs; 
it is a striking feature of acute gastritis (inflammation 
of the stomach), and the more acute grades of gastro- 
intestinal inflammations. 

This form of diarrhoea is called lienteria, and indi- 
cates excessive irritability of the alimentary canal, or 
it may come from substances which were indigestible 
to a normal stomach. It occurs in inflammation of the 
stomach and bowels, and in cholera infantum and 
chronic diarrhoea. 

A diminution in the number of stools, together with 
a re turn, to the normal color and consistence, is always a 
favorable symptom. 

Does diarrhoea in children always indicate disease, or 
is it not sometimes salutary ? 



diarriiu-a. 257 

Diarrhoea, as I have already said, is never a disease, 
but always a symptom. When irritating" substances 
have been taken into the stomach, which are not nutri- 
tious, and can not be made useful in the economy, 
nature seeks to rid herself of the foreign substances, 
either by vomiting or a salutary diarrhoea. In either 
case it would be folly to interfere with the process, 
since no possible good can be accomplished by doing 
so. But it often happens that the diarrhoea, which 
was salutary in the beginning, continues, even after the 
end has been accomplished, from the irritation thus set 
up, and needs to be controlled before serious, or at 
least unnecessary, loss of strength is occasioned. 

Will you now give me the indications for the prominent 
remedies in simple ordinary diarrhoea, so that I may give 
them intelligently ? 

I will gladly do so, but let me say that there is no other 
diseased condition in which such close discrimination is 
necessary, and no other where the medicine must be 
selected with such great care. Even such trifling char- 
acteristics as the time of day (or night), presence or 
absence of thirst, pain before or after stool, and even 
the mental condition of the child — all of them must be 
considered in prescribing for the diarrhoeas of infancy. 
Of course if your domestic practice is not attended 
with satisfactory and speedy results you will call in a 
physician. 

I shall give you the prominent characteristics of the 
leading homeopathic remedies, selecting those in your 
medicine case: 

Arsenicum. — Thick, dark-green mucus. Watery or 
fluid, corrosive, offensive. Worse at night or after 
eating or drinking ; painless. Accompanied with un- 
quenchable, burning thirst, great weakness, rapid 



258 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

exhaustion, as in cholera infantum; emaciation. In 
connection with great thirst tliere is also extreme rest- 
lessness. 

Belladonna. — Stools thin, small, and frequent. Stu- 
por or lethargy. Sleepiness, with restlessness; starting 
or jumping in sleep, intolerance of light. Drowsiness, 
with startings, and dry heat of body are characteristics 
of this drug. 

Bryonia. — Stools frequent, showing undigested par- 
ticles, smelling like rotten cheese; alternating with 
constipation. Worse in early morning and from mov- 
ing about. Desire to lie quiet. 

Camphor. — Especially in sudden attacks of diarrhoea, 
with profuse watery discharges. Icy coldness of whole 
body, chilliness. Face pale, livid, or purple; eyes 
sunken or fixed. Very useful in cholera morbus or chol- 
era infantum. 

Chamomilla. — Stools green mucus, mixed green 
and white mucus; liked chopped spinach; small stools 
frequent, smelling like bad eggs, with colicky pains. 
Especially indicated during teething" and in diarrhoea 
attended with peevishness; the child cries much, and 
will only be pacified by being carried about. 

China. — Stools painless, but watery, and are worse 
after eating, and worse after any acute disease, like 
measles. Abdomen is distended, and bowels emit large 
quantities of flatulence. Great weakness. Especially 
indicated in children debilitated by previous disease. 

Colocynth. — Stools saffron yellow. First watery 
and mucus, then bilious. Worse after eating. Aggra- 
vated by teething. Colic before, with, or after stools. 
The pain is a very characteristic symptom of this 
remedy. 

Ipecac. — Stools green mucus; as green as grass; 
fermented. Before and during stool, nausea. Stool 



CHOLERA IXFANTUM. 259 

spurts out with considerable force. Constant nausea, 
with or without vomiting", is the prime characteristic of 
ipecac. 

Mercurius. — Stools green mucus, bloody mucus, 
slimy; violent and frequent urging to stool; desire to 
sit on chamber for a long time; straining at stool. 
Especially useful in children who have swollen gums 
which bleed easil} T , and where tongue is swollen, soft, 
and flabby. 

Nux Vomica. — Stools thin, brownish, or bloody; fre- 
quent and small; hiccough; colic; over-sensitiveness to 
external impressions, such as light, noises, etc. Espe- 
cially useful in cases where constipation alternates with 
diarrhoea. 

Sulphur. — Stools watery, changeable, frothy, sour- 
smelling, fetid. Worse in the early morning and after 
taking milk. After suppressed eruptions. Frequently 
attended with colic and straining. Useful after other 
remedies have been given, and patient is better and 
then worse, or after much medicine has been given 
with no definite results. 

Veratrum Album. — Stools greenish, watery, with 
flakes or specks scattered about; severe colic, nausea, 
vomiting, weakness. Violent thirst for large quan- 
tities of water. Vomiting violent, followed by great 
weakness. Cramps of extremities, cold hands and feet. 
Extreme anguish, arresting the breathing. // is useless 
to give this remedy in diarrhoeas unaccompanied with 
pain. 

CHOLERA INFANTUM. 

Will you tell me, Doctor, what cholera infantum is, 
and how it differs from real Asiatic cholera ? 

True or "Asiatic cholera" occurs only in epidemics, 
and affects adults and children alike, while cholera 



260 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

infantum is more or less prevalent in large cities at 
all times — more especially in summer and in seasons of 
prolonged heat, with dampness accompanying the heat. 
It is not common among well-to-do people whose 
surroundings are pleasant and healthful, but is much 
more prevalent among those whose environment is 
insalubrious, and whose diet is faulty. Weak infants 
and children who are badly nourished fall a special 
prey to this disease. 

What are the symptoms peculiar to this disease ? 

Its onset is sometimes sudden and without premoni- 
tory symptoms. This, however, is exceptional. More 
often there is a premonitory diarrhoea, which is often so 
mild as to attract but little attention. There is always 
ground for anxiety when a weakly baby has a diarrhoea 
which is either persistent or foul-smelling, and especially 
so if there is accompanying the diarrhoea a marked loss 
of flesh and a dullness of intellect. When a child who 
has been bright and alert suddenly loses interest in 
affairs and becomes stolid or apathetic, you may be sure 
that something is wrong. 

If the features become suddenly pinched and the skin 
about the neck wrinkled, there is still more reason to be 
alarmed. 

In most cases the development of choleraic symptoms 
is sudden, and frequently of such severity that the case 
terminates fatally in a few hours. The two essential 
features of cholera infantum are vomiting and purging, 
and either of the symptoms may precede the other or 
both may appear simultaneously. The vomiting is per- 
sistent. At first the vomited matter consists of what- 
ever food has been recently taken, and after this has 
been ejected it consists of serum, mucus, and bile. The 
thirst is unappeasable, and yet whatever is taken into 



CHOLERA INFANTUM. 2G1 

the stomach is instantly thrown tip again. The stools 
are frequent, large, and watery. They are often pain- 
loss, and frequently involuntary. They are apt to look 
like dirty water, but in advanced cases they lose all 
color and become altogether serous or watery. They 
are sometimes so thin and copious as to soak through 
the napkin and saturate the bed. Occasionally cases 
are met with in which the stools are odorless. In others 
the odor is almost overpowering. The consequent pros- 
tration is rapid and great. The fontanels are depressed, 
the face becomes pale and pinched, and the eyes are 
sunken. The disease is most prevalent during the 
" heated term," and occurs most often in young babies 
under eighteen months, and still more often under a 
year of age. 

What is the treatment of such cases ? 

In the beginning treat as directed under diarrhoea. 
Cholera infantum, however, is not a disease to trifle with, 
and I must warn you again at this point against doing 
without a physician, if one can be had. There is almost 
no other disease which is capable of such rapid and terri- 
ble onslaughts. Most cases require alcoholic stimulation. 

The medical treatment consists, ordinarily, in the 
administration of veratrum alb. and arsenicnm. 

If stools are accompanied with retching and violent 
efforts to vomit, ipecac. 

If there is a marked tendency to convulsions from its 
beginning, give capsicum. 

Camphor is indicated when there is great prostration; 
coldness, with threatened collapse; attack very sudden; 
cold sweat on the face; upper lip drawn up, exposing 
the teeth. 

What food and care should a baby have when suffering 
from this disease f 



262 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Hygienic measures are quite as important as medi- 
cines. Stop ordinary feeding at once. Give raw-meat 
juice in very small quantities. If the baby is under a 
year old, give only a few drops at a time. If there is 
great prostration, add a drop or two of brandy to the 
meat juice. 

A little cream and water, or barley water and cream, 
will sometimes answer a good purpose. With nursing 
babies, it is not best to insist on feeding if there is no 
appetite, and it is bad practice to give the breast when 
it is taken merely to satisfy thirst. If the breast milk 
excites vomiting or stimulates the bowels to move, it is 
useless to persist in nursing. 

It is better to withhold the breast for a few hours 
and give raw-meat juice or brandy and water. To 
satisfy the craving for water, wrap up a small bit of ice 
in a linen rag, such as a pocket handkerchief, and let 
the baby mouth it. An occasional sip of ice water will 
do no harm. 

Is it ever wise to give an enema in cholera infantum f 

It is sometimes a very valuable adjunct to other 

treatment. I hesitate to recommend it, because so 

many physicians are ignorant of its merits or are 

prejudiced against it. 

I can say, however, that I have cured a considerable 
number of babies, who have been given up by other 
physicians, by the use of hot water enemata. The water 
should be as hot as can be well borne (no° F.), and it 
can be repeated two or three times in the twenty-four 
hours, if the first one seems helpful. 



CONSTIPATION. 2G3 



CHAPTER VII. 

CONSTIPATION. 



What shall I do for my baby when lie becomes con- 
stipated ? 

If properly fed an infant should never become con- 
stipated. He may have diarrhoea from various causes, 
but constipation is always due to some error in diet 
or mismanagement in the daily routine of the nursery. 

What remedies would you suggest for this condition ? 

First, change the food if the baby is being bottle-fed. 
Give less milk and more of some one of the cereal 
foods. If Mellin's Food is used, give it almost free of 
milk until the bowels are loose; then add more milk. 

Is Castoria good for constipation f 

Neither Castoria nor castor oil should ever be given 
for the relief of constipation. Indeed laxatives and 
cathartics of all kinds are unsuited to infants and 
children. 

Why do you say this ? 

Because these remedies, and all others which move 
the bowels as their primary effect, produce constipa- 
tion as their secondary effect. I think I have already 
explained how all medicines have a primary and secon- 
dary action. The first is the antipodes of the other. 
Castoria is especially to be avoided, because it contains 
a narcotic which renders it extremely dangerous for 
very young infants. 

But is there no temporary expedient for constipation 
which is both safe and efficient f 



264 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Surely there is. Whether the patient be infant or 
child, a hot water enema is both harmless and effectual. 

How much water should be used at a time ? 

This will depend on the age of the child, which, in a 
general way, indicates the capacity of the rectum just 
as it does that of the stomach, as before stated, when 
considering the quantity of food. 

For an infant of six or eight weeks, one fluid ounce, 
or two tablespoonfuls, will be sufficient. At the age of 
two years this quantity can be safely increased to from 
four to six fluid ounces. 

In using salt enemata the proportions should be one 
teaspoonful of salt to eight tablespoonfuls of water. 

In using oil instead of salt, twice as much of the for- 
mer may be used to the same quantity of water. 

Always oil or grease the nozzle of the syringe before 
inserting it. In inserting the nozzle of the syringe, 
care should be taken to direct it toward the patient's 
left side, as this follows the natural trend of the lower 
bowel. 

Is water always the best thing to use ? 

If the rectum has become impacted with fecal matter, 
it is a serviceable plan to inject into the rectum from one 
to four teaspoonfuls of olive oil, and allow it to remain 
for several hours, after which time an injection of warm 
castile soap and water should be used. In lieu of this, 
table salt (a tablespoonful to a pint of water) ma) T be 
used. 

If the constipated condition has lasted for several 
days, the fecal mass in the rectum may have become so 
hard that it will need to be broken up by the finger, 
introduced (well oiled) into the bowel, and the mass 
broken up by pressure. At the same time the passage 
of the bowels may be assisted by gentle pressure upon 



CONSTIPATION. 265 

the parts behind the anus, during expulsive efforts 
made by the child. 

Another, and by some considered a preferable means 
of stimulating the rectum to active efforts, is to substi- 
tute for the enemata, glycerine suppositories, which are 
kept by all druggists. These suppositories should be 
inserted as far as possible, until fairly buried in the 
rectum, and they rarely fail to produce the desired 
result in a few minutes. These suppositories are usu- 
ally only to be obtained in sizes suitable for an adult, 
but by cutting them in two or otherwise reducing their 
size they can readily be made to suit even the )^oungest 
child. 

Suppositories of castile soap are equally efficacious, 
and these can be improvised in the nursery, in cases of 
emergency. 

Is not the insertion of the finger into the rectum of a 
child a painful operation ? 

Usually not, if the finger is well oiled and the pro- 
cedure is skillfully performed. The anus is capable of 
wide distention, and that without pain, unless hemor- 
rhoids be present. 

What is the best syringe for nursery use f 
The best syringe for children is one of hard rubber, 
with a smooth nozzle. It should have a capacity of, say, 
six ounces. In -using sweet oil for an enema, one or 
two ounces is sufficient, and in order that this may be 
retained within the rectum long enough to act upon the 
feces, its retention is best secured by firmly pressing a 
pad of absorbent cotton against the anus for some min- 
utes after the injection, the patient lying meanwhile 
upon the back. 

Have you any other suggestio/is to make in regard to 
constipation ? 



266 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

It might be well to remind you that habit has much 
to do with bowel movements. A child should be early 
taught to be regular in this important matter, and as 
children of all ages are proverbially careless and forget- 
ful, the mother or nurse must be otherwise, and see 
that the bowels are moved with rigid regularity daily. 
It sometimes happens that the food which the baby 
takes is deficient in fat. This may be so, even with 
nursing babies. In the latter case, cream diluted one- 
half with water will prove useful, being fed to the baby 
once or twice daily with a spoon. With bottle-fed 
infants who are not gaining in weight, and who are con- 
stipated as well, a larger proportion of cream should be 
added to each feeding; or a teaspoonful (or less with 
very young infants) of olive oil may be given once a 
day. The same quantity of drug store " syrup," or, 
better still, the same quantity of black molasses, will 
answer a good purpose and is quite harmless. In chil- 
dren over a year old a little stewed fruit, such as prune 
juice or baked apple, may be tried carefully. With 
babies of this age or older I have found Mellin's Food 
eaten dry out of hand a good expedient. 

The main thing in regulating the bowels is to regu- 
late the food, and establishing regular habits of going 
to stool. With older children plenty of fluids, and veg- 
etable rather than animal foods, are usually all-suf- 
ficient to keep the bowels in good condition. 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 2G7 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SPECIAL DISEASES. COLD IN THE HEAD ; CATARRH. 

What are the first remedies to be given to a baby who 
has just taken a fresh cold ? 

Arsenicum. This remedy is indicated when there is 
running at the nose, sneezing; inability to breathe, 
because the nose is so stuffed up; discharge watery and 
excoriating. 

Nux Vomica. Indicated in same conditions, with 
additional constipation or indigestion, accompanied 
with much flatus from bowels. 

What is the hygienic treatment ? 

The nares should be carefully cleansed with warm 
water as often as they become obstructed, and a little 
goose grease, olive oil, or white vaseline or lanolin 
should be smeared on the outside of the nose and lips, 
and inserted within the nares by means of the little 
finger or a camel's-hair brush. Infants at the breast, 
and who are temporarily incapacitated from nursing, 
should be fed with a spoon until the catarrh is cured. 
Children who are subject to frequent attacks of cold in 
the head should be made to wear a light flannel cap 
when out of doors, and a light mull cap indoors. 

What are the first symptoms of sore throat in a young 
infant t 

Pain in swallowing is usually the first recognizable 
symptom of sore throat in a young infant; it cries 
whenever it takes the breast or the bottle and makes a 
forcible attempt to swallow. There is generally fever, 



208 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

more or less pronounced, and the baby looks sick. If 
the child is old enough to talk, the speech is thick and 
nasal in tone. If there is any cause for suspicion that 
the throat is sore, you should examine the throat care- 
fully to see if the suspicion is well founded. 

How do you examine the tJiroat of an infant? 

Gentle pressure of the fingers upon the chin is usu- 
ally sufficient to cause wide opening of the mouth. If 
this expedient fails, the finger, or, better still, the smooth 
handle of a teaspoon, or any other smooth, flat instru- 
ment, maybe inserted in the mouth and downward pres- 
sure made upon the tongue. A quick glance will show 
at once if the tonsils are swollen, or if the back part of 
the throat is red and inflamed. It is best not to use 
forcible measures in examining the throat just after the 
infant has been fed, for vomiting may be induced and 
the meal lost. 

What is the color of a healthy throat ? 

The healthy mucous membrane is everywhere a little 
lighter than the normal red of the lips of a healthy 
adult — a decided pink. It should be smooth, moist, and 
without spots of white, or deep red. 

How does the throat look when there is tonsilitis ? 

The tonsils are two almond-shaped bodies, situated 
one on either side of the throat and just back of the 
fold of membrane which divides the anterior from the 
posterior fauces. This fold is called the curtain of the 
palate. Just back of the curtain, and partly concealed 
by it, are the tonsils. In health they are only visible 
when in the act of gagging or swallowing, or when 
a sound like ah! is made. In simple sore throat 
the mucous membrane lining the fauces and covering 
the tonsils may be red, but the tonsils are not swollen. 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 269 

In acute tonsilitis the tonsils are more or less swollen, 
and are often dotted with a half-dozen or more white 
spots (follicular tonsilitis), or the tonsils may be greatly 
swollen without any spots on them, as in quinsy sore 
throat. Sometimes the tonsils are so swollen as to 
nearly, or quite, touch each other at the middle of the 
throat, where the hanging- palate or uvula is situated. 

Is tonsilitis dangerous ? 

If of the simple variety and without exudation, it is 
not usually attended with danger except with very 
young infants. Even then the greatest danger is from 
the disease becoming chronic, and thus interfering with 
respiration. 

1 1 liat are the symptoms of diphtheria f 

Sore throat, and all the symptoms which go with sore 
throat, and -with these symptoms there is generally 
great pallor, weakness, and fetor of breath. In the 
very beginning the appearance of the throat is but little 
different from that seen in tonsilitis. Small white spots 
are seen on the tonsils, and possibly on the uvula, but 
in a day or two, often within a few hours, a dirty white 
patch is formed on one or both tonsils and there is 
increased weakness, pallor, loss of appetite, and fever. 

Does tonsilitis ever lead up to or run into diphtheria ? 
The two diseases are quite distinct, but occasionally, 
although very rarely, the one precedes the other. 

What are the remedies for sore throat f 

If the patient is a young infant, rub the throat exter- 
nally with camphorated oil. Give internally belladonna, 
kali bich., the latter especially if there be small white 
patches in the throat. If there is much fever give an 
occasional dose of aconite in addition to the remedies 
just named. If there is not much fever give the kali 

18 



270 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

alone or in alternation with arsenicum. If diphtheria 
is prevailing in the neighborhood, or if the sore throat 
is suspected to be more than a simple angina (inflamma- 
tion), .no time should be lost in summoning a physician. 

How long does diphtheria last ? 

In average cases which recover the patches begin to 
disappear in from five to ten days, often sooner, and are 
entirely gone in three or four da3^s more. In some 
cases the deposit in the throat lasts for two weeks or 
more. The characteristic weakness, which is present, 
in a greater or less degree, in all cases of true diphtheria, 
may last for a month or more. 

In unfavorable cases the membrane in the throat 
continues to form, and the child finally dies from 
exhaustion. 

What are the really dangerous symptoms in diphtheria ? 

The most dangerous symptom in the early stages of 
diphtheria is hoarseness, which indicates that the disease 
has invaded the larynx. This is the beginning of the 
most fatal form of croup. 

When, in the course of the disease, is this complication 
most imminent f 

It is most apt to come on between the third and 
seventh days of the disease. Sometimes, however, the 
membrane attacks the larynx first, and it may be con- 
fined to the larynx altogether. 

What are the symptoms of croupous diphtheria ? 

They are the same as are the symptoms of membra- 
nous croup; indeed, many authorities regard the two 
diseases as identical. 

The hoarseness, which is the first symptom to manifest 
itself, gradually increases until the voice is nearly or 
entirely lost. Then follows rapid and noisy breathing 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 271 

and the peculiar cough which indicates croup. In such 
cases the difficulty in breathing is persistent and grows 
steadily but slowly worse. In this respect it differs 
widely from false or spasmodic croup, which begins 
abruptly and has periods of intermission. In diph- 
theritic croup the child sits up in bed and struggles for 
breath, looks pale and bluish from the non-oxidation 
of the blood, and if relief is not speedily afforded the 
child will die from suffocation. 

Are diphtheria and membranous cronp identical? 
Yes. It is now generally conceded that membranous 
croup is diphtheria. 

What danger menaces a child just recovering from 
diphtheria f 

Paralysis is a very common sequel of diphtheria and 
is usually confined to certain muscles, most often those 
of the throat, which are used in talking. For example, 
a child whose throat is or has been affected with diph- 
theria will say, enk for egg; hent for head; and au for 
all. 

Is diphtheria contagious f 

It is highly so, and in my opinion every case of sore 
throat occurring in a family where there are other 
children, should be isolated from the start, and continue 
isolated until the danger of infection is past. 

Is this disease, then, infectious as well as contagious f 

It is more infectious than contagious. I have known 
the germs of the poison from diphtheria to hang about 
a house for more than a year, even after it had been 
scrubbed, calcimined, and repainted throughout, and 
to give the disease to strangers who moved in while 
ignorant of its past history. 



272 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Do you mean to say that all sore throats are con- 
tagions f 

In the beginning, all forms of sore throat look so 
much alike that it is not safe to make a hasty diagnosis. 
This period of doubt lasts for a day or two. Mean- 
while, it is safest to separate the sick child from others 
who might be susceptible, and continue the separation 
until all doubt is removed. 

What disinfectant should be used in cases of diph- 
theria f 

I do not approve of any of the so-called disinfectants. 
They do not do any good and they are liable to do 
much harm by loading the air with malodorous vapors, 
which cannot be otherwise than injurious when inhaled 
into the lungs. 

Can you suggest any substitute for these so-called dis- 
infectants ? 

Plenty of fresh air and plenty of sunshine; these are 
far better than anything made by man for the purpose 
of purifying the air of a sick-room. 

What is the best treatment for diphtheria f 
There is today one treatment for diphtheria and only 
one, and that consists in the administration of diph- 
theria antitoxin. This must be given early — within 
the first twenty-four hours. 

Diphtheria is often so insidious and so frequently 
masked by what seems to be some other and less dan- 
gerous disease, that whenever a child shows a small 
whitish spot in the throat it should be isolated directly 
and a physician sent for. It may be nothing of con- 
sequence, at least it may be no more than a simple 
catarrhal sore throat, but on the other hand it may be 
the disease which we are considering, and which is 
attended by so much danger. If it is diphtheria there 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 273 

is no time to be lost; active measures should be inaug- 
urated without delay, and in a disease fraught with so 
much danger as this no inexperienced person should 
assume the responsibilities of treatment. While wait- 
ing for the doctor, arrange the nursery as hereafter to 
be described for the infectious fevers. If there is much 
fever, give aconite and belladonna alternately every fif- 
teen minutes. If there is diphtheria in the immediate 
neighborhood, so that there is good ground to suspect 
that the case in hand is more than a simple malady, 
give kali bich., three or four tablets in a third of a glass 
of water; a teaspoonful every fifteen minutes. 

If compelled to treat the case alone, the principal 
remedies, other than those named, are arsenicum, hepar 
sulphur, mercurius. 

Are not gargles and local applications necessary ? 

Except when ordered by a physician I would not 
advise them. One of the great dangers in diphtheria 
is from heart failure from nervous exhaustion. In giv- 
ing local treatment, either by swabbing, gargling, or 
spraying, the strength of the patient is taxed out of all 
proportion to the possible benefits derived. I think, 
therefore, that, in the long run, local applications do 
more harm than good. 

At what stage of the disease is heart failure most to 
be feared f 

After the acute symptoms have begun to subside, or 
during convalescence. Under no circumstances should 
a child suffering from or convalescing from diphtheria 
be allowed to get out of bed or make any voluntary 
exertion without help, until permitted by the attending 
physician to do so. If the child must be taken up, it 
should be lifted slowly and with great care. Even 



274 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

after convalescence is fairly established, vigorous exer- 
cise should be prohibited for a long period. 

What other precautions must be taken in the manage- 
ment of the case ? 

All clothes used about the patient should be burned 
at once. If direct applications are made to the throat, 
whoever makes them must be careful that none of the 
membrane is coughed into his or her eyes, nose, or 
mouth. 

How sliould a diphtheritic case be fed? 

It must not be forgotten for a moment that depres- 
sion of the vital forces is one of the chief characteristics 
of this disease. To antagonize this tendency the food 
should be as concentrated and stimulating as possible. 
These cases bear alcoholic stimulants well. Eggnog, 
whisky sling, wine whey, koumiss, white of egg in 
water, raw-meat juice, are all useful, and in some cases 
imperative. Give little food at a time and give it often. 
Whisky or brandy is better than wine; even dilute alco- 
hol in water or milk is often of great value. 

Do you think there is any virtue in pineapple juice or 
in other fresh fruit acids f 

If there is any good to be derived from the juice of 
fruits it is so insignificant as to be utterly untrust- 
worthy. They can, however, do no possible harm, and 
may safely be used, if desired, in conjunction with other 
and more reliable medicines. 

Do you believe in operating on tlie throat in desperate 
cases ? 

Most certainly; and if your physician advises it, do not 
hesitate for a moment about allowing him to do so. An 
operation will give temporary relief at least, and will 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 275 

add to the chances of ultimate recovery, while delay or 
refusal may mean speedy death from suffocation. 

How docs spasmodic croup commence ? 

Usually after the child has had its first sleep, or 
toward midnight. Its onset is sudden. The child 
awakes with a shrill cough, which is more like a bark; 
the cough is repeated at intervals, and soon the patient 
breathes quickly and laboriously, It can not breathe 
easily while lying down, so sits up in bed or in the 
nurse's lap. The voice is oftentimes nearly or quite 
lost, or at best is only a hoarse whisper; the face is 
bluish or perspiring. The spasm, for it is little else, 
lasts for a variable period, but rarely exceeds a half- 
hour — sometimes only a few minutes. The croupy 
cough and the oppressed breathing may last longer 
than this, but these, too, subside after a time, after 
which the child drops asleep, and usually rests quietly 
for the remainder of the night. There is a tendency to 
a return .of the paroxysm on succeeding nights unless 
obviated by treatment. 

Is this form of croup attended with danger? 

The symptoms which attend the attack are out of all 
proportion to the real danger. It is generally the result 
of exposure to cold, or to the east wind. It is sometimes 
doubtless due to indigestion. It is frequently the result 
of family predisposition. Some children suffer from 
repeated attacks, while others are never so afflicted. 
The symptoms may or may not be preceded by 
hoarseness during the day, but the acute attack always 
begins suddenly and nearly always in the night, with a 
sharp, barking cough, with a decided metallic ring to it. 
It differs decidedly from that more serious form of 
croup in which there is a formation of membrane, for in 
the latter case there is no paroxysm, no sudden onset 



270 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

and then a speedy amelioration, but a steady and per- 
sistent increase of hoarseness and difficult breathing. 

At what age is spasmodic croup most frequent ? 
The disease is most common in the third year of life. 
It is seen but rarely after the age of six years. 

What is the treatment ? 

The principal treatment should be preventive. Chil- 
dren addicted to croupous attacks should be scrupu- 
lously guarded against exposure to wind and dampness. 
As soon as the first croupy cough is heard, give the 
child a half-teaspoonful of white vaseline, and if not 
relieved in half an hour repeat the dose. 

A very efficient method of treating croup is by means 
of the steam atomizer, which is kept for sale by nearly 
all druggists and by all medical instrument makers. 
By this means the air can be saturated with moisture, 
which has a very relaxing effect on the croupous par- 
oxysm. 

In lieu of the steam atomizer, the same effect can be 
practically secured by means of a teakettle or teapot, if 
so arranged that fire can be kept underneath it. There 
is a regular apparatus made for this purpose, called the 
croup kettle. 

By inclosing the bed of the sick child with light cur- 
tains the vapor can be brought closer to the patient. 
Remember that the idea is not to have the child inhale 
steam, but vaporized air. 

What homeopathic remedies do you advise in spasmodic 
croup ? 

The leading medicines are aconite, hepar sulphur, 
spongia, and tartar emetic. Never give aconite under 
any circumstances unless there be fever, and a quick, 
full pulse. A few doses of hepar sulphur will gen- 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 277 

erally afford relief, it given at frequent intervals, say 
every fifteen minutes. To obviate a return on succeed- 
ing nights, keep the child indoors, and alternate hepar 
sulphur with spongia at hourly intervals during the 
day. In addition to this, grease the child's throat and 
breast with camphorated oil or with vaseline. 

Is croup ever caused by a deranged stomach ? 
Indirectly it is often so caused, but usually there is 
some other cause superadded. 

Will ordinary spasmodic croup run into true croup ? 
No, the two diseases are quite distinct, and the one 
does not tend to lead up to the other. 

GLANDULAR ENLARGEMENTS. 

What causes a child's glands to swell ? 

It is generally due to cold. Children who are subject 
to glandular enlargements should be very warmly clad, 
and the glandular system should be kept active by 
frequent baths, massage, and an out-of-door life. 

Is there any danger in these glandular swellings ? 

They are very prone to suppurate and leave scars. 
In some cases, but not always, they indicate a scrofulous 
or tuberculous state of the constitution. If the swell- 
ings are more than " kernels" you should call the atten- 
tion of your physician to them and be guided by his 
advice. 

What medicines are useful in this condition ? 
Mercurius, sulphur, arsenicum, and calcarea phos. 

BIRTH-MARKS. 

What are birth-marks ? 

They include neavi and moles. A neavus consists of 
a blood-red or purplish patch of various size and shape 



278 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

on the skin, sometimes on a line with the skin, and 
sometimes elevated above it. A " mole " is a dark, 
pigmented spot on the skin, either flat or slightly ele- 
vated, and commonly, but not always, covered with 
hair. Moles are generally small, but are sometimes 
sufficiently large to cause great disfigurement. 

What causes these so-called birth-marks ? 

The popular belief that they are caused by some 
impression made upon the mind of the mother while 
the child is in utero is a fallacy. At least the theory is 
not borne out by facts and critical observations. 

Are they curable by medicines ? 

No; they are only removable by surgical means, and 
sometimes not even then. 

RED GUM. 

What is the meaning of red gum, and what causes it f 

This is the common or vulgar term for a disease quite 
common in early life, and which is due to congestion 
about the orifices of the sweat follicles. It is character- 
ized by the appearance of small red or white papules 
ranging in size from a pin's head to a millet seed. 

Where is its principal seat ? 

On the face, neck, and back, but it may be spread all 
over the body. It is met with most frequently during 
teething, and hence is often referred to as " tooth rash." 

It is often caused in very young infants by over- 
clothing ; in older children it often proceeds from some 
gastro-intestinal disturbance. 

Hozv long does it usually last ? 

From two to three days to a week or more. 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 279 

1 YJiat is the treatment ? 

See that the clothing is not too warm. If the gums 
are swollen or tender, they should be lanced. 

Internally, give chamomilla, or, in chronic cases, 
c ale area. 

PRICKLING HEAT. 

What is prickling heat f 

It is a very common affection in infants, and consists 
of a great number of minute elevations, red in color, 
which are closely crowded together. They are most 
numerous about the neck and over the trunk where 
there is abundant perspiration. The disease is most 
common in summer, and is attended by more or less 
burning and tingling. 

What, is the best treatment for it f 

The clothing should be made as cool as safety will 
permit. Frequent cool baths should be given, and after 
the bath the affected parts should be rubbed over with 
olive oil. The itching may be sometimes relieved by 
bathing the parts with a solution of saleratus (one tea- 
spoonful to a pint of water), or the parts may be dusted 
over after the bath with starch powder. No internal 
medicine is necessary. 

milk crust; scald head; eczema. 

What is milk crust ? 

It is the most common of all infantile skin diseases, 
and is often the most obstinate. It is apt to last for 
weeks and even months. It is very frequently met with 
during the first year of life, but all ages are susceptible 
to it. Its most frequent seat is the head, the crotch, the 
groins, and the folds of the joints generally. 



280 ALL ABOUT THE BABY 

. What are the symptoms ? 

At first a patch of skin or scalp becomes bright red, 
and is covered with minute vesicles of the size of a 
pin's head. These little vesicles soon rupture and exude 
a serous, sticky fluid, which forms a crust of variable 
thickness, with moist, raw flesh underneath. This is the 
most common form. In other cases the skin is dry, 
red, thickened, and somewhat scaly. In this form, 
which is commonly called salt rheum, the skin cracks 
readily and often bleeds. 

There are still other varieties, but those just de- 
scribed are the most common. In all forms the itching 
is intense, and it is difficult to keep the child from 
scratching and tearing the skin. The itching is gener- 
ally worse at night, and may render the child restless 
or sleepless. 

What is the cause of this disease ? 

The causes are very variable, and sometimes it is 
impossible to find the cause. Probably the most com- 
mon cause is a lack of cleanliness, or the use of an irri- 
tating soap. Improper diet often cuts a figure, especially 
the early use of starchy food. There is frequently an 
inherited tendency to eczema. In other cases a debili- 
tated constitution is the cause. 

What is the treatment for eczema ? 

There is great tendency for the disease to spread; 
therefore as little time should be lost as possible in plac- 
ing the child in the care of a physician. In the meantime 
the mother should investigate and obviate the cause, so 
far as it can be ascertained. All soap, other than cas- 
tile, should be discarded, and even this soap should not 
be used if it seems to produce any irritation. The 
hands should be put into mittens or bound to the 
sides, if the inclination to scratch can not be otherwise 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 281 

controlled. The less water used about the affected 
parts the better. Boric acid lotion (one-half ounce to 
a pint of water) makes a good cleansing wash, after 
using which, the skin, if red and weeping, may be 
dusted with bismuth and zinc powder. 

Ijt Subnitrate of bismuth )/ z oz. 

Oxide of zinc )/ 2 oz. 

Mix and make into a very fine powder. The crusts 
may be removed by soaking them in olive oil. 

WJiat internal remedies are to be used? 

Arsenicum^ graphites, rlius tox, and sulphur. Which- 
ever remedy is used, it should be given hourly while 
the child is awake. 

BOILS. 

What are boils ? 

A boil (furuncle) is an acute localized inflammation 
of the skin and connective tissue. They vary in size 
from a small pea to a hickory nut, having a hardened 
and inflamed base, and usually terminate in suppura- 
tion and the formation of a core. 

Boils may occur singly, but more often they come in 
succession, one being- the precursor of others. 

Is it true that boils are a sign of good health f 

They are never a sign of robust health, but always 
indicate the opposite. There is always, when boils are 
present, more or less impairment of the general tone of 
the system, although it is a fact that some children 
show a disposition to them while apparently well in 
other respects. 

Where are they most apt to locate themselves ? 
They are liable to come anywhere, especially in some 
part of the body that is subject to constant irritation. 



282 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

How long does a boil usually last ? 

From five to seven days. It commences as a small, 
roundish, inflamed spot, red and tender to the touch; 
it gradually increases in size, and the pain, which is 
usually of a throbbing character, increases in intensity 
until the swelling is opened or bursts and throws out 
a central slough called a "core." In some cases the 
suppurative stage is not reached, and no core forms. 
They are then called blind boils. 

What treatment do yon recommend? 

When a boil is tense and hard, the best local treat- 
ment consists in applying* hot poultices of ground flax- 
seed or tomato poultices. As soon as the boil opens, 
the poultices should be stopped, as, if too long used, 
they encourage the formation of new boils. For after- 
dressing use calendula cerate. 

What internal remedies are useful? 

Tartar Emetic: For boils on the perineum or on the 
buttocks, especially if accompanied by gastric derange- 
ments. 

Arnica: Many small boils on the face or head. 

Merc. Sol.: Boils on the ankles. Coldness of feet 
and hands. Pain from the boils is worse at night. 

CHAFING. 

What causes chafing in a young infant ? 

Chafing is liable to occur wherever two moist sur- 
faces of skin are constantly touching each other, or it 
maybe caused by a sour diarrhoea, which excoriates the 
skin about the anus. In fat babies, chafing is common 
in the folds of the neck, in the armpits, and about the 
thighs and groins. When the attack is severe, the skin 
is bright red, tender, and raw. 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 283 

What is the treatment for this disease? 

The treatment should be both preventive and cura- 
tive. The former is best secured by greater attention 
to cleanliness, by more frequent changing of the 
diapers, and the subsequent free use of some baby 
powder. If caused by an acrid diarrhoea, the free use 
of vaseline will subserve a useful purpose. An excel- 
lent application for this trouble is made as follows: 

For chafing: 

I£ Boracic acid 31 

Glycerine _ 31 

Balsam , Peru. _ 3i 

Vaseline , white ^ i 

M. Ft. Ungt. 

This is sold in drug stores and in pharmacies as a 
specific not only for chafing, but for various skin erup- 
tions. 

HIVES (NETTLE-RASH). 

Do young infants ever have hives ? 
They do occasionally, but not often. Children are 
very often affected by them. 

What are the symptoms ? 

They consist in numerous raised blotches, which are 
whitish or pinkish in color, and variable in size, being 
sometimes no larger than the finger-nail, and again are 
as large as half a hen's egg. They are very capricious, 
coming out suddenly, and as suddenly disappearing. 
They burn and sting with great intensity. They closely 
resemble the elevations produced by the sting of insects. 
Unless the skin is broken by scratching, they disappear 
without leaving any mark or scar. 

What causes nettle-rash or hives ? 

The causes are various, but generally are associated 



284 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

with some error in diet or getting the blood overheated. 
An overloaded stomach is often at the bottom of an 
attack, and children who eat much meat are quite sub- 
ject to this disorder. 

What is the treatment ? 

Correct all errors in diet. Locally apply warm vine- 
gar and water — half and half. An excellent wash is 
made as follows: Benzoic acid, five to ten grains; 
water, one ounce. 

A weak carbolic-acid lotion at times acts well. 

Internally, give apis mellifica or arsenicum. Some- 
times belladonna or bryonia is indicated. 

VOMITING. 

Is vomiting in a young infant a symptom of any great 
gravity f 

This depends wholly upon the cause which occasions 
it. Simple regurgitation of food, which is quite com- 
mon in young infants, at the most means only that the 
stomach is overloaded. It is very different with true 
vomiting, which is accompanied with coldness of the 
skin and cold perspiration. These latter symptoms 
indicate nausea. If vomiting ceases after the stomach 
is unloaded, it need not be regretted, but it does not 
always indicate a disordered stomach. It frequently 
ushers in some acute disease like meningitis or scarlet 
fever. In case the vomiting is repeated again and again, 
a physician should be consulted at once, as it may, if 
neglected, bring the patient to a condition which is 
truly alarming. 

What are t lie first remedies to be given f 

For the simple vomiting and the attendant nausea, 
the first remedy to be given is ipecac. This should be 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 285 

followed or alternated with aconite, if there be fever, 
or belladonna, if there is headache. If the vomiting is 
regarded as due to a disordered state of the stomach, 
give mix vomica at intervals of half an hour. No food 
of any kind should be given for several hours after an 
attack of persistent vomiting, but complete rest, without 
jolting, rocking, or trotting on the knee, should be 
enjoined. The first food given should be very bland 
and unirritating, like barley water or albumen water. 

HEADACHE. 

Do infants ever suffer from headache ? 

Undoubtedly even very young babies do thus suffer, 
as is indicated by a wrinkling of the brows, persistent 
crying, rolling of the head from side to side, or repeat- 
edly putting the hand to the painful region. 

What causes headache in infancy ? 

The causes are very numerous, and often are difficult 
to ascertain. All forms of brain disease, but especially 
inflammation of the brain (meningitis), fever from 
whatever cause, neuralgia, indigestion, constipation, etc. 

What can be done to relieve it ? 

Perfect rest and quiet are essential. The light should 
be turned very low. The head, if hot, should be bathed 
with warm water. If constipation is a likely cause, 
lose no time in giving an enema. Internally one of 
the following remedies should be given: Belladonna, 
gelsemium, or cuprum. The first remedy mentioned 
is especially useful if the child starts and jumps at 
every noise or wakens up from sleep with a start and 
cry. 

Children who suffer with headache should be most 
tenderly cared for, and the development of the brain 
should be repressed rather than encouraged. 

19 



286 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



INSECT STINGS, 



What is the best application for the bites of insects f 
Insect stings are seldom dangerous, but are often the 
cause of much suffering. If the sting of the insect is 
still in the wound, remove it with tweezers. Bathe the 
wound with witch hazel or arnica tincture. In lieu of 
these, dilute ammonia (ammonia water) or spirits of 
camphor. If nothing better is at hand, apply a mud 
poultice, which has at least a prestige as ancient as mud 
itself. There is nothing better for mosquito bites than 
camphor or thymol. 

WHOOPING COUGH. 

What are the first symptoms of 'whooping cough? 

The first symptoms do not differ from those attend- 
ant upon an ordinary cold. The early cough is like 
that of bronchitis, except it does not yield to medi- 
cines. After a period varying from a few days to two 
or three weeks, this first stage, called the stage of 
invasion, is passed, and then follows the second stage 
— the whooping or paroxysmal stage. Already it is 
noticeable that the cough comes on by spells, which 
grow longer and more intense day by day. These 
spells or paroxysms are usually more and more fre- 
quent at night. In a very mild case the paroxysms 
do not number over five or six in twenty-four hours, 
but in some cases there are forty or fifty, or even more. 

What is the special characteristic of this developed 
cough ? 

The child gives a more or less prolonged series of 
rapidly repeated short coughs, without taking breath, 
meanwhile showing symptoms of impending suffoca- 
tion, as exhibited in the blueness of the face and the 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 2S7 

look of anxiety and fear expressed in the countenance. 
At last it makes a long-drawn inspiration, which is 
attended with a peculiar, loud, crowing sound, which is 
the whoops so-called. At the termination of a paroxysm 
of coughing a considerable quantity of tough, stringy 
mucus flows from the mouth, which is not infrequently 
tinged with blood. In many cases the attack ends with 
vomiting. A spell of coughing is easily excited by eating 
dry substances, like crackers, and in some cases every 
attempt at eating is aborted by cough and vomiting. The 
child early learns to dread the paroxysm, and as soon as 
the first symptoms of cough are felt seizes its nurse or 
mother, or in their absence a chair or table, and clings 
there until the paroxysm is over. 

How long docs the second or paroxysmal stage last ? 

From two to three weeks, unless sooner terminated 
by successful treatment. 

What follows the second stage ? 

The stage of decline, during which the paroxysms 
become less and less severe, the cough becomes looser, 
the " whoop " is less marked, the vomiting is less fre- 
quent, and in short all of the symptoms abate until the 
child is finally left with a mild bronchitis, which may 
last for an indefinite time. 

Should a child with whooping congh be allozved to go 
on t of doors ? 

In the country, and especially if the air is mild and 
free from dampness, there is no harm in permitting out- 
of-door exercise. Cold air and damp air, however, are 
apt to provoke and aggravate the cough, and hence 
should be avoided. If an attack of whooping cough 
should begin in the late autumn, the cough will be 
likely to remain more or less troublesome throughout 
the winter. 



288 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Do all cases exhibit the characteristic whoop ? 

In mild cases there is frequently an absence of the 
whoop; in others it is only noticeable a few times in the 
whole course of the disease. 

How, then, do you know that the disease is whooping 
cough ? 

By the persistent and unyielding character of the 
cough, and by its coming in paroxysms. 

How long is whooping cough contagious f 
The contagious principle seems to reside in the expec- 
toration and in the breath. It is active throughout the 
whole course of the attack, but close contact is neces- 
sary for its dissemination. It can not be carried by a 
third person. It is quite safe to say that a child having 
whooping cough should not mingle with other children 
for at least two months from the date of attack. 

What are the principal dangers from whooping cough ? 

If the attack is at all severe there is danger of con- 
vulsions; there is also danger of rupture (hernia), 
and occasionally the cough is severe enough to cause 
prolapsus ani. 

Is there any prophylactic for whooping cough ? 

No, none whatever. 

What arc the chief remedies for this disease? 

Under homeopathic treatment it is sometimes pos- 
sible to abort the disease during the first week of the 
attack, but in all cases the severity of the attack can be 
ameliorated. The room in which the child sleeps should 
be well aired during the day; all draughts should be 
avoided, and the body of the patient should be warmly 
clothed. The remedies most to be relied upon are 
belladonna and ipecac, given alternately every hour 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 289 

while the child is awake. In some cases hyoscyamus 
will prove better than belladonna. Other remedies are 
drosera, corallium rubrum, and moschus. 

Is it true that babies under three mouths of age, 
attacked by whooping cough, never recover ? 

It is not true. At the same time the disease is gen- 
erally conceded to be more severe, as a rule, the younger 
the victim. 

CONVULSIONS. 

What is the first thing to do in case a baby has a 
convulsion ? 

It should be undressed as quickly as possible and 
immersed in a warm bath up to its neck, while cold 
water should be applied to its head. The water should 
be as hot as can be well borne, 105 F., or even no°. It 
should be kept in the bath for from five to ten minutes, 
and then wrapped in a blanket without drying. If the 
spasm returns, the bath should be repeated. 

If the baby has eaten or swallowed anything of an 
indigestible nature, the mother's finger should be used 
to excite vomiting. If the bowels have not been 
recently moved, a hot-water enema should be given. 
Convulsions are frequently due to obstructed bowels. 
Internally, give belladonna or cuprum, a dose at intervals 
of five or ten minutes. 

Note. — It must not be forgotten that in young infants 
spasms are often the precursor of some contagious dis- 
ease like measles or scarlet fever. They are also occa- 
sionally due to difficult dentition. A skillful physician 
is often puzzled to know just what is the immediate 
cause of the spasm. Mothers should also remember 
that convulsions are not necessarily fatal, and so should 
not be needlessly alarmed or so frightened as to neglect 
proper measures for relief. 



290 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

PARALYSIS. 

What is paralysis ? 

It is loss of power to move certain parts, and may be 
limited to a single limb or be widespread. 

What causes it ? 

The causes are very various. New-born infants are 
sometimes paralyzed from pressure occurring naturally 
during a tedious confinement ; occasionally but very 
rarely it is caused by the use of instruments at the time 
of birth. The latter form of paralysis is usually super- 
ficial, and does not involve the brain. It, therefore, is, 
as a rule, soon recovered from. Paralysis frequently 
follows diphtheria, and is generally local, being con- 
fined to the muscles of the throat or eyes. Occasionally 
it is general, but in nearly all cases recovery takes place 
in a few days or weeks, unless it involves the heart or 
respiratory function. 

What is the treatment for paralysis ? 

For that form following diphtheria, gclsemium is 
nearly specific. In other forms, nux vomica may be 
useful. Massage of the palsied parts is beneficial, and 
in chronic cases electricity is valuable. 

RHEUMATISM. 

Do babies ever have rheumatism ? 

Not very often, but occasionally they do. If an infant 
cries whenever it is handled or moved, it is tolerably 
certain that it has either rheumatism or rickets. 

How can I tell the difference between the two ? 

Rheumatism comes on suddenly, and is usually 
attended with more or less fever, while rickets comes 
on more gradually, and must be quite advanced before 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 291 

the bones and mnscles are so sore and sensitive that 
handling- is painful. 

Is there any danger from rheumatism in infancy? 

There is more danger from it in infancy than in adult 
life. Even very slight attacks of rheumatism are apt 
to be followed by heart disease, and St. Vitus dance 
often succeeds an attack of rheumatism. 

What is the proper treatment for rheumatism in 

infancy f 

Perfect rest should be enjoined, so that the heart 
may not be overtaxed, and the affected parts should be 
swathed in cotton. Internally, bryonia should be given 
hourly, and aconite should be alternated with it if there 
is much fever present. If the joints are red and swol- 
len, rhus tox. is the remedy. 

What are " growing pains" so called? 

Growth does not produce, nor is it accompanied by, 
pain. "What is called "growing* pains" is in reality 
rheumatism, and this fact should not be overlooked nor 
underrated. Even slight attacks of rheumatism in 
infancy and childhood are liable to be followed by seri- 
ous heart troubles, and they should, therefore, receive 
careful and judicious treatment. Woolen clothing is 
very necessary in such cases, and great care should be 
taken to avoid wet feet and dampness generally. 

RICKETS. 

What are the first symptoms of rickets ? 

It is always suspicious when a baby reaches the end 
of its first year without a single tooth (a hearty baby 
should have six or eight). It is doubly suspicious if the 
anterior fontanelle, which is the soft spot in the head 
just above the forehead, is as much open as it was some 



292 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

months previously. This fontanelle ought to be closed 
in a well-nourished infant by the fifteenth to the twen- 
tieth month. If, in addition to these symptoms, the 
child sweats about the head whenever it sleeps, cries 
whenever it is handled, and dislikes play and sports 
which other children of like age delight in, the evi- 
dence is pretty conclusive that the child is rachitic. 

A t what age is rickets most common ? 
Between the ages of six months and two and one- 
half years, or during babyhood. 

What causes rickets ? 

Insufficient or badly chosen food is the most common 
cause. Nursing babies are seldom troubled with this 
disease unless the mother is herself ill, or continues 
nursing too long, i. e., into the second year. Starchy 
foods, too little milk or other animal food, taking the 
infant too early to the family table and permitting it to 
eat whatever it wants — these are the most common 
errors in baby feeding which too often result in 
rickets. Other causes are: insufficient clothing, damp 
and badly ventilated dwellings, a lack of outdoor air and 
sunshine, and lastly inherited constitutional weakness. 

A re rickety babies usually fat or lean ? 

They are often plump and even fat, but they are 
weak and do not walk early. The teeth are more or 
less delayed and decay early. 

What other symptoms are characteristic of rickets ? 

When the disease is fully established the abdomen 
is much distended and full of wind; the child is very 
restless; refuses to be covered when asleep. A little 
later there is a perceptible enlargement of the wrists 
and ankles, and especially at the junction of the ribs 
and the breast-bone (or sternum). As the sternal end 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 293 

of each rib is enlarged it produces a semblance to a 
row of large beads under the skin, which is often 
referred to as the "rickety rosary." A little later still, 
the head is found enlarged and is square or box shaped. 
The forehead projects and the sides of the head and 
the top are flattened. 

Is there any hope for such a case ? 

If the disease is taken in time there is every chance 
for arresting- its progress, but if unrecognized until 
changes in the bones have taken place, their perfect 
repair is impossible. These children are stunted in 
their growth, and often have bow legs or curvature of 
the spine. 

Do children ever die of rickets ? 

The disease is seldom, if ever, directly fatal, but 
rickety children do not withstand other diseases well. 
They are prone to diarrhoeas, pneumonia, and all the 
contagious diseases go hard with them. 

What treatment do yon advise for this complaint ? 

Change the food, whatever it has been, for however 
good for other babies it is not the proper food for this 
one. Give the rickety baby more fresh air and sun- 
shine. Change of air is often very useful. Let the 
infant's body be anointed every day, or twice a day, with 
cod-liver oil. Do not urge the child to stand on its 
feet, or the legs will bend. In addition to the regular 
food give raw-meat juice at least once a day. Internally 
give a tablet of calcarea phos. three or four times daily. 
Pay especial attention to any chance disturbance of 
stomach or bowels. This treatment must be continued 
for weeks or even months. Do not be discouraged if 
you do not see immediate results. Improvement is 
always slow and tedious. 



294 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

MARASMUS. 

What am I to understand by marasmus ? 

It is a term applied to infants who, however much or 
little they eat, grow thinner and thinner. It means the 
same as wasting. There is a constant and progressive 
wasting or fading away of the body. It is not a dis- 
tinct disease, but is the result of various conditions. 

What is its cause ? 

The causes are various — syphilis, tuberculosis, 
chronic vomiting, persistent diarrhoea, mal-assimilation 
of food. 

What is the proper treatment for it ? 

First ascertain and remove the cause. The further 
treatment is quite similar to that just given for rickets. 

HYDROCEPHALUS. 

What is the meaning of this term ? 

It signifies water on the brain. It is a species of 
dropsy. 

What are the symptoms ? 

There is an enlargement of the head, caused by the 
large amount of fluid within the skull. The head is 
not square, as in rickets, but round and full; the fon- 
tanelles bulge, and the face looks sharp, small, and 
peaked. In bad cases the mind is affected, and the will 
has but little control over the body. 

Is treatment of any avail in this disease ? 

Some cases recover under skillful medical care, but 
the treatment is too intricate and scientific to be out- 
lined here. 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 295 

INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. 

What arc the early symptoms of brain disease? 

In inflammation of the brain the temperature is 
usually very high — 104 F., or even higher. There is 
stupor or delirium, and vomiting is common. There 
is intolerance of light, and the child jumps and starts at 
the slightest noise, unless the stupor is so profound 
that the hearing is affected. There is also frequently 
a squint, or the eyes are turned upward, and in sleep- 
ing the lids are only half closed. The pupils of the 
eyes are either expanded, or in other cases they are 
contracted. Sometimes one pupil is larger than natural, 
while the other is smaller. 

What are the remedies to be used while zvaiting for 
the doctor ? 

Bathe the head in cold water, or apply ice to the 
head. Darken the room and keep it as quiet as pos- 
sible. Give no food except under the doctor's direc- 
tions, unless it be of the blandest character, and then 
but very little at a time. Give aconite and belladonna 
alternately every fifteen minutes until the doctor 
arrives, when, of course, you will follow his directions. 

SNUFFLES. 

What causes "snuffles " or " sniffles " in a baby? 

Cold ; it is infantile catarrh. The nose is blocked up 
with mucus, so that when the infant attempts to nurse, 
it can not perform this function and breathe at the 
same time ; hence it takes a few sucks, drops the nipple, 
and cries. The need of the lungs for air is more imper- 
ative than anything else. After the respiratory func- 
tion is satisfied, hunger asserts itself again, and sucking 
continues until impending suffocation compels another 



296 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

rest. Catarrh is very common in infants. It is often a 
cause of colic, by the rapid influx of air when the mouth 
is opened. It is also a frequent cause of tonsilitis. The 
catarrh itself may become chronic, which is a difficult 
thing to cure. I would like to impress upon the mothers 
and nurses who read these pages the necessity of avoid- 
ing this trouble, and using prompt measures to cure it 
whenever it occurs. It is one of many diseases which 
are preventable by proper care, and easily cured if taken 
in hand early. 

What is the proper mode of treatment ? 

First, pay attention to the prevention of the trouble. 
Avoid draughts in the nursery while the baby is taking 
its daily bath. If doors must be opened, or are liable to 
be, let the bathing be done behind a screen. It often 
happens that the nursery is over-hot, or the bath may 
be progressing before an open fire, in which case the 
opening of an adjacent door brings a blast of cool air 
on the baby's body, and a cold is the inevitable result. 
A little precaution would avoid the evil. If the child's 
nose is stopped up so that breathing through it is diffi- 
cult or impossible, the nostrils should be cleansed of 
mucus by means of a small probe wound with cotton, 
or still better a camel's-hair pencil. This should be 
dipped in warm water and inserted up each nostril, care- 
fully twisting it around until the mucus is dislodged. 
The lining membrane of the nostrils should then be 
smeared in like manner with white vaseline. Before 
vaseline came into use, mothers used to find goose 
grease a sovereign remedy for this trouble — greasing 
the nose freely with it, both inside and out. It is still a 
procedure which has lost nothing from its antiquity. 

The proper remedies for internal treatment are 
arsenicum, nux vomica, and if the eyes water and 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 29*3 

inflame from acridity of the tears, allium cepa is quite 

specific. 

COLDS AND COUGHS. 

/// what other ways docs an ordinary cold show itself 

besides snuffles ? 

In sore throat ; fever and a cough, which may indi- 
cate bronchitis or pneumonia ; or in acute pain about the 
chest, which may mean pleurisy. Cold may also affect 
the stomach, producing indigestion ; or it may cause a 
diarrhoea by closing the pores of the skin and throw- 
ing an excess of humors on the mucous lining of the 
intestines. 

What are the symptoms of pneumonia ? 

High fever, shortness of breath, sometimes a chill or 
chilliness. Sometimes the disease comes on suddenly 
with a convulsion, or it may develop slowly from a pre- 
ceding bronchitis. Besides the high fever and a flush- 
ing of one or both cheeks, there is a short, frequent, 
and painful cough — a catchy breath — and there is a 
moving in and out — a flapping — of the wings of the 
nose. In bad cases the respiration is so embarrassed 
that the pit of the stomach, the spaces between the ribs, 
and the muscles of the neck, all participate in the 
effort to secure air for the blood, which is imperfectly 
furnished by the congested lungs. A child thus affected 
pays no attention to playmates or toys. It is too much 
occupied in getting enough air to carry on the vital 
processes. The lips are bluish and the breathing is 
rapid and shallow. 

Is this disease attended with any special danger ? 

It is always serious, and should not be neglected for 
a moment. It should be said that pneumonia, conges- 
tion of the lungs, " lung fever" capillary bronchitis, and 



298 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

inflammation of the lungs all practically mean the same 
thing. The symptoms of each and all are so nearly 
alike that the most skillful physician is often puzzled 
to make a correct diagnosis. 

But is not the treatment different according to their 
different names ? 

No. Names are of no value whatever in the selection 
of remedies. The symptoms afford the only key to the 
choice of medicines. If the case develops suddenly, 
with high fever and cough, give aconite and belladonna 
alternately every half-hour, or even oftener for awhile. 
If improvement sets in, give the medicines at less fre- 
quent intervals. If the breathing is much embarrassed 
and the lips blue, give pJiosplwrns, especially if the 
cough is tight and hacking. If the cough is loose and 
rattling, tartar emetic (antimonium tartaricum) is the 
remedy. It is often advisable to alternate these two 
remedies, giving them at frequent intervals until 
improvement is noticeable. Other remedies are bella- 
donna, when the cough is attended with sore throat, 
also when the cough is worse at night. Bryonia is indi- 
cated when the cough is tight and painful — the infant 
cries every time it coughs, as if it hurt. Mercurius is 
an excellent remedy for a cough which is worse at 
night or when lying down. It is all the more indicated 
if the bowels are loose and the stools light-colored — 
ashy or clayey. 

Are external applications advisable in this disease ? 

In all forms of congestion of the lungs I like the use 
of flaxseed poultices. As the congestion is nearly 
always more in the back part of the lungs, a poultice 
jacket which will completely envelop the body is the 
proper thing. To make this jacket, take a piece of mus- 
lin, linen, or cheese-cloth, wide enough when doubled 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 299 

to reach from the lower margin of the ribs to well up 

under the armpits, and long enough to go a little more 
than around the chest. Open the double fold and 
spread the hot mass of poultice on one-half of the cloth 
and fold the other half over it. It should be applied as 
hot as can be comfortably borne, and covered with oil 
silk or parafhne paper, so as the longer to retain the 
heat and moisture. The poultice should be renewed as 
often as it gets cool — every few hours — and the fresh 
poultice should be all ready to put on when the old one 
is taken off. Place the open end of the poultice upper- 
most, so that the contents will not fall out. 

PLEURISY. 

What is pleurisy and what are its symptoms ? 

Pleurisy is an acute inflammation of the serous mem- 
branes lining the cavity in which the lungs are situated. 
This membrane not only covers the wall of the cavity 
itself, but also invests the lungs themselves, so that 
between the lungs proper and the serous wall of the 
thorax there are two serous surfaces touching each other. 
When inflammation affects any portion of this mem- 
brane it is almost sure to affect both surfaces. When- 
ever a serous membrane is inflamed anywhere, the 
first effect is to produce dryness of the surface; the 
next and quickly following effect is for the membrane 
to secrete an excessive amount of serum. The serum 
is the watery part of the blood — indeed, it is all of the 
blood deprived of the corpuscles. Now this serum is 
rich in that plastic element of the blood known as 
fibrin, and in pleurisy this fibrinous serum glues the 
two walls of the chest-lining together, so that every 
motion produces pain on the side affected. 

Does pleurisy tJien affect only one side of the body f 



300 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Acute pleurisy is nearly always unilateral, or one- 
sided. 

Is there much fever in this disease ? 

There is usually not as much fever as pain, but some- 
times the fever runs quite high. 

Is there much danger attending this disease ? 

Pleurisy is rarely a primary and sole disorder. It 
more frequently accompanies some other disease like 
pneumonia or tuberculosis, and then is to be regarded 
as a complication. Still it may stand alone and be a 
primary disease. 

Hozv can one tell if a child is suffering from pneu- 
monia or pleurisy ? 

The symptoms of pneumonia have already been de- 
scribed. In pleurisy the child cries whenever moved, 
and, if old enough to talk, says the pain in the side is 
like the cutting of a knife. If the effusion into the 
chest cavity is considerable, the spaces between the ribs 
are bulged out, making the affected side fuller than the 
other. Ordinarily the fever in pleurisy is less than that 
of pneumonia, but when the two are combined the 
temperature is sometimes, usually in fact, very high. 

What are the chief remedies for pleurisy ? 

Topically, the treatment is the same as for pneumonia. 
The affected side should be swathed in cotton sprinkled 
over with camphorated oil, or the jacket poultice may 
be used instead. 

Internally give bryonia and arsenicum alternately 
every half-hour. Belladonna is also a very useful 
remedy if the child is restless and complains of head- 
ache. There is also danger that the effusion, if con- 
siderable, may degenerate into pus, and if so the ser- 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 301 

vices of a skillful physician or surgeon are necessary 
to puncture the thorax and let it out. 

WORMS. 

Do nursing infants ever have worms ? 

Never, if only breast milk is used. If, however, raw- 
meat juice or cow's milk (unsterilized) is given, worms 
are possible. 

What are the symptoms of worms ? 

There are no distinctive and reliable symptoms of 
worms. You can only be sure that a child suffers from 
worms when you see the worms yourself. The irrita- 
tion which worms produce in the alimentary canal is or 
may be produced by any other irritating cause, such as 
indigestible food, or an acrid and irritating condition of 
the intestinal fluids. For our present purpose it is only 
necessary to consider the small thread worms, or pin 
worms, as they are frequently called. They are from a 
quarter to half an inch long, and resemble very closely 
an animated piece of linen thread. They cause the 
most intolerable itching. They inhabit the lower part 
of the bowel, and can be seen about the anus, if the but- 
tocks are quickly spread apart before a bright light. 
The best time to observe them is a half -hour after the 
child has been put to bed for the night. 

What is the treatment if symptoms of worms be 
present ? 

The chief remedies for the symptoms of worms are 

cina or santonine. If the only ground for suspicion 

that worms are present is nervous restlessness and 

irritability, gelsemium or belladonna may afford relief. 

If the evidences of pin worms be actual, give an 

injection of an infusion of fresh garlic for two or three 
20 



302 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

nights in succession, using a small bunch of garlic in a 
pint of water steeped down to one-fourth pint. Another 
method which is often successful is to anoint the anus 
for several nights in succession with sweet oil, using 
the little finger to insert the oil as far into the rectum 
as the finger will reach. In case these measures fail 
the advice of a physician should be sought and his 
directions followed. A weak solution of corrosive sub- 
limate is sure death to the parasites, but it should 
never be used without medical sanction. 

A prominent physician of my acquaintance says that 
pin worms may be made to promptly disappear with 
injections, /^t rectum, of cod-liver oil, pure or made 
into an emulsion with the yolk of an egg. It is non- 
irritating, and is said never to have failed to effect a 
cure. 

Is it wise to give patent worm medicines in case a child 
has worms ? 

You should never give or take patent or proprietary 
medicines under any circumstances. All of them are to 
be avoided, for the good and sufficient reason that 
every case of illness is a special study, and exhibits 
peculiarities all its own. If the infant or child is so ill 
that it baffies your domestic skill, call a physician, but 
never give it medicines from the drug store, the ingre- 
dients of which you are ignorant of. While the medi- 
cine may have helped your friend's child it might do 
yours infinite harm. 

Is improper food the sole cause of worms ? 
Yes; worms never gain entrance to the body except 
through food or drink. 

When there is positive proof of the presence of worms, 
is it likely that in time they will disturb the nervous 
system f 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 



303 




Fig. 10. 



304 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

It is almost certain that they will. The little thread 
or seat worms produce a fearful amount of irritation, 
that sets a child nearly frantic. 

Can a nervous trouble of the eyes, such as squinting, 
and tzvisting of the muscles of the month and nose, come 
from worms ? 

Easily, because the nerves which supply these parts 
are very susceptible to reflex irritation. But you must 
remember that this irritation along the alimentary 
canal may be something else besides worms. Any irri- 
tation, from whatever canst, may produce such effects. 

Is it true that modern physicians advise circumcision 
in all cases of male infants ? 

It is not always necessary, but it is advisable in most 
cases. It is quite impossible to maintain cleanliness of 
the parts if the foreskin is incapable of being retracted. 
Consult your physician upon the subject, and be guided 
by his judgment, after he has made a careful exami- 
nation. 

At what age is this operation best performed? 

It may be done at any time after the baby is a week 
old, and after this age the sooner the better, unless 
there be some good reason for its postponement ulterior 
to the operation itself. 

Supposing it is not done, what ill consequences are 
likely to follow? 

The vile habit of masturbation is not infrequently 
the result of conditions which might have been obvi- 
ated by this operation. Various reflex nervous troubles 
are now well known to be caused by a narrow and con- 
tracted foreskin. 

Is titer e any danger accompanying the operation ? 

None whatever, if properly performed. 



SPECIAL DISEASES. 305 

FOREIGN BODIES IN THK EYE. 

What is to be done if a cinder or other foreign body 
gets into the eye t 

First use every necessary means to prevent rubbing 
the irritated eye, for this only increases the inflam- 
mation. If the foreign body is not sharp, or thrown 
into the eye with sufficient force to imbed itself in the 
membranes of the eye, the flow of tears will, if let 
alone, wash the object out in a short time. If the 
object adheres more firmly, draw down the upper lid, 
by means of the eyelashes, until it overlaps the lower 
lid, and then let it go. The lower lashes will often 
sweep the offending body out. If this procedure does 
not succeed, take a soft camel's-hair pencil and, drawing 1 
the lid down as before, sweep the inner surface with 
the pencil, moistened with a weak solution of pow- 
dered borax and water. 

What is to be done if a child gets something in its ear ? 

Children are very prone to put peas, shoe-buttons, 
beads, and similar objects into their ears, and it is some- 
times no easy matter to extricate them. If the object 
is so deep in the ear that it can not be seen, its removal 
should be left to a physician, for serious damage may 
be done by awkward and unskillful attempts to extri- 
cate it. If no physician is at hand, lay the child on the 
affected side and draw the lower lobe of the ear out- 
ward and backward. This will straighten the canal and 
the object will sometimes drop out. If it does not do 
so, the ear may be syringed with tepid water, placing 
the nozzle of the syringe at the upper part of the open- 
ing of the canal so that the water may go behind the 
object and wash it out while returning. No alarm need 
be felt nor haste exercised in removing a foreign body 
from the ear, if no pain is felt from its presence. 



306 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

If an insect or* a bug crawls into the ear, as some- 
times happens, sweet oil should be poured into the ear 
and left for a time, after which the ear should be 
syringed out with tepid water. 

If the- foreign body is in the nose, what is the proper 
procedure ? 

The 'treatment is very similar to that in case of the 
ear, except that the object may sometimes be dislodged 
by inducing sneezing, or by making the child blow the 
nose vigorously. In all cases of offensive nasal catarrh, 
the nose should be examined to see if there may not be 
some foreign substance there which has caused inflam- 
mation. Children often put small objects up their nos- 
trils and forget all about it. 

Is it dangerous if children swallow small objects, such 
as coins, buttons, marbles^ and the like ? 

Usually there is no great danger from so doing. The 
object is quickly coated with mucus from the stomach, 
and passes down the intestines without producing any 
trouble. Do not give any laxative. The longer the 
foreign body remains in the stomach the more safe will 
be its further passage. 

If the foreign body is angular or pointed, such as a 
fish-bone or a pin, it is liable to stick in some part of 
the throat and cause choking. In such case hold the 
child up by its legs, and slap its back while thus sus- 
pended. If high up in the throat, where it can be seen, 
cautious attempts should be made to grasp it with the 
thumb and finger. If it has lodged lower down, let the 
child swallow large mouthfuls of food, which will soon 
carry the body down with them. 

What is the best application to make to a burn or scald f 

There is nothing better than vaseline. Apply it 
freely, and then wrap up the part so as to exclude the 



77//? NURSERY IX SICKNESS. 307 

air. If the burn or scald is extensive, there is danger 
from "shock." In such case, summon a physician as 
quickly as possible, and follow his directions. If the 
burn affects the skin between the fingers, there is dan- 
ger of the fingers growing together, causing a " webbed 
hand,'' unless care is taken to separate the fingers by 
lint or something similar, well smeared with vaseline or 
carron oil. 

Wliat is to be done in ease of a serious fall in which 
the head is struck f 

Bathe the head with arnica tincture and give a drop 
or two, diluted with water, internally, at intervals of half 
an hour or oftener. If there is reason to fear serious 
injury to the brain from the nature of the fall, put the 
child to bed. Keep the head cool, and favor sleep by 
excluding visitors and avoiding noise. Children some- 
times suffer considerable fractures of the skull without 
serious consequences, and again an apparently trifling 
fall may produce convulsions, or give rise to epileptic 
attacks which sometimes continue through life. A 
child who has met with a serious fall should be watched 
carefully for some weeks, for the consequences of head 
injuries do not always show themselves immediately. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE NURSERY IN SICKNESS. 

What changes are necessary, in ease of sickness of 
possibly contagious character, to transform the nursery 
into a temporary liospital ? 

If the nursery consists of two rooms — a day and a 
night nursery — as heretofore described, the changes 



308 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

necessary to avoid the spread of contagion are few and 
simple. The day nursery is best for use in case of sick- 
ness, as it is best lighted and is most easily isolated. 
It has also the advantage of having the nurse's sleep- 
ing room next to it. This is especially advantageous in 
case the child should be so seriously ill as to require 
two nurses (one for day and one for night). 

The walls should be stripped of everything that can 
be dispensed with. All pictures, except such cheap 
prints as can be easily replaced, and costly toys should 
be removed. The curtain hangings, rugs, and all 
superfluous furnishings should be taken away; the mat- 
tress and bed linen should be considered with reference 
to their destruction after the case is well. The crock- 
ery should be duplicated, so that changes may be made 
quickly if necessary. Plenty of absorbent cotton, old 
linen, and disinfectants should be provided. 

After the nursery is thus denuded of all unnecessary 
furniture it should be made as clean as possible, using 
soap, water, and brush everywhere. After taking these 
precautions, let the room be well dried and aired. If 
there be more than one child under consideration, and 
the disease is contagious, absolute isolation of the sick 
child will alone afford adequate protection to others. 
To effect this, the crevices about the doors, and other 
openings between the two nurseries, must be closed 
and made air-tight. Strips of paper may be pasted 
over the keyhole and along the door spaces, care being 
taken to lock the door and remove the key before pro- 
ceeding with these measures. The door leading from 
one room to another can be made contagion -proof by 
tacking a piece of lint onto the edges of the door, 
covering top, sides, and bottom with the lint. This will 
insure complete closure of the door, and effectually 
prevent any dissemination of contagious elements. 



THE NURSERY IX SICKNESS. 309 

All linen used about the siek child should be either 
burned or specially laimdried. Instead of handker- 
chiefs, soft pieces of linen should be used and destroyed 
thereafter. 

As all acute diseases are attended with fever and 
consequent thirst, the Acme water cooler (see Fig. 7, 
page 51) will prove a great convenience. 

After the illness is over and the child is well enough 
to change rooms without danger, the sick-room — the 
temporary hospital — should first be fumigated with 
sulphur candles, and afterward thoroughly cleaned with 
soap and water. If the room has been previously 
papered it should be repapered; if calcimined, it should 
be recalcimined; but if the walls are painted, it will be 
sufficient to have them well washed down with soap and 
water, or with water containing some antiseptic, like 
listerine, carbolic acid, or sanitas. After these precau- 
tions, let the room be thoroughly aired and dried, after 
which it may be considered free from contagious 
germs. 

But suppose one is limited to apartments, and can 
devote but a single room to the nursery in Jicalth and in 
sickness, what is to be done ? 

Enough has been said to indicate the necessities and 
outline the procedures which are requisite to transform 
the baby's room into a quasi hospital. Remove all 
unnecessary appendages — curtains, draperier, rugs, 
furniture, etc. Make the room as sweet and clean as 
soap and water will make it. Select the brightest and 
airiest room available for the sick-room. This may 
possibly mean the parlor. If so, let the parlor carpet 
be taken up, and all bric-a-brac removed. Whether the 
sick-room be in a flat, a cottage, or a mansion, certain 
things are necessary to be considered in selecting the 
sick baby's chamber: 



310 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

First. The room must be capable of free ventilation 
without disturbing the patient. 

Second. It must be warm, and it should be possible to 
regulate the temperature without producing draughts. 

Third. It should be as noiseless as possible, i. e., away 
from street noises, and as free as possible from house- 
hold disturbances. 

Fourth. It should be near the bath-room and water- 
closet, where hot and cold water can be easily obtained. 

Fifth. It should be a large room, larger than needed 
in health, because sickness requires the constant pres- 
ence of at least a second, and often a third, person, all 
of whom consume oxygen and would soon vitiate the 
air of a small room. 

Are disinfectants and antiseptics the same thing? 

Not exactly. Antiseptics are drugs or chemicals 
which arrest putrefaction, while disinfectants are sub- 
stances which destroy the power of infective materials. 
Some drugs, like carbolic acid, are both disinfectants 
and antiseptics. 

Do yon approve of their use ? 

Certainly I do; but, at the same time, scrupulous 
cleanliness should be observed in everything pertaining 
to the sick-room. Dirty dishes, vessels with discharges, 
soiled napkins, etc., should be removed at once. Articles 
used about the patient, such as sheets, pillow cases, 
blankets, and wearing apparel should not be removed 
from the sick-room until they have been soaked for at 
least an hour in some disinfecting fluid. The following 
is a very good formula to use for this purpose: Sul- 
phate of zinc, eight ounces; carbolic acid, one ounce; 
water, three gallons. 

After the soiled articles have been allowed to soak in 
this mixture for an hour or so, they may be placed in 



THE NURSERY IN SICKNESS. 311 

boiling water for washing. The pillows and mattresses 
may be left in the room while the latter is being fumi- 
gated at the termination of the sickness. Water closets 
or privy vaults into which the discharges are poured 
should be disinfected each day with a solution of cop- 
peras, in the proportion of half a pound to the gallon 
of water. 

How is fumigation to be effected? 

The room is to be made as tight as possible by stop- 
ping up all of the apertures, such as keyholes and the 
spaces under the doors, about the window sashes, etc. 
This can be done with cotton or rags, or by pasting 
brown paper over and around the openings. After this 
is done, place a quantity of roll sulphur, broken into 
small fragments, in a saucer or earthen dish, which 
should stand either in a large iron kettle, or, supported 
on two bricks, set in a bucket or tub partially filled 
with water. When all is ready, sprinkle a little alcohol 
over the sulphur and apply a match. As soon as com- 
bustion begins, leave the room, closing the door tightly 
afterward. 

How much sulphur is required in a room twelve feet 
square ? 

Such a room will contain something over a thousand 
cubic feet, and you should burn at least three pounds 
of sulphur. The room should remain closed for at least 
twelve hours, and then be thoroughly aired. 

Are there not sulphur candles made specially for pur- 
poses of fumigation ? 

Yes; they are kept by most druggists, and are more 
convenient than the roll sulphur just mentioned. 

Hozv should the walls be treated? 

If the walls are painted, they should, as well as the 



312 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

woodwork, be wiped down with a solution of chloride 
of lime (one ounce to the pint) or carbolic acid (one 
drachm to the pint). Afterward they should be 
scrubbed with soap and hot water. 

How about zvalls that have been papered? 

They should be repapered, and the woodwork should 
be repainted. 

How sJwuld the person of the nurse be disinfected ? 

By washing with a 2 per cent solution of carbolic 
acid, or by the free use of listerine. 

What arc the first symptoms of scarlet fever ? 

Scarlet fever, or scarlatina, as it is technically called, 
comes on suddenly and without warning. More often 
than otherwise the child is apparently in perfect health 
the day before the attack, and sleeps well after its usual 
supper. On rising the next morning it is seized with 
vertigo and vomiting, and complains of a sore throat. 
Very soon, that is, within an hour or two, a high fever 
sets in, and in many cases the vomiting persists at inter- 
vals. Within from twelve to twenty-four hours, and 
often sooner, the face becomes unusually flushed, the 
sore throat becomes more pronounced, and the redness 
of the skin extends over the neck, chest, and body. The 
back is very red, and, after a few more hours, the red- 
ness extends over the legs until the whole body resem- 
bles a " boiled lobster." (See Fig. n.) When the erup- 
tion is at its height, which is usually on the second day, 
if the finger is drawn over the back a white line is left, 
which is quickly replaced, when the finger is removed, 
by the fiery redness of the adjacent skin. 

The rash consists of very minute red points, which 
are not at all elevated, but are so thickly crowded 
together that the skin appears a uniform bright red. 




V 





No. ii. SCARLET FEVER. 
(See Page 312.) 



THE M 'RSER Y IN SICKNESS. 313 

Very often there is no vomiting at the commencement 
of the attack, and the sore throat, which is always 
present, is so slight as to attract but little, if any, 
attention. In such cases the eruption is widespread 
when the child is first examined. In well-marked cases 
the color of the rash increases in intensity for two or 
three days, and lasts altogether about a week. On the 
second day of the attack the tongue becomes heavily 
coated with a thick, pasty coating, which melts away in 
a day or two, leaving the tongue bright, red and thickly 
studded with red and swollen " papillae," constituting the 
"strawberry tongue" so characteristic of this disease. 
This appearance of the tongue is well shown in our 
illustration. 

While the eruption lasts the fever continues high and 
the throat remains sore, swollen, and bright red. The 
tonsils are liable to be covered with white patches 
resembling diphtheritic membrane. After a period of 
from seven to nine days the rash is entirely gone, and 
with it the fever, but in bad cases, with severe throat 
symptoms, the fever may last longer. On the other 
hand, in very mild cases, the sore throat, the fever, and 
the rash may not last above twenty-four hours. It is 
a most treacherous as well as variable disease, being so 
mild sometimes as to be overlooked, and again so malig- 
nant as to destroy life in a few hours. 

What is the difference between scarlet fever, scarlatina, 
and scarlet rash f 

There is no difference at all. They are one and the 
same thing. 

Is the danger of contagion as great in mild cases as in 
severe ones ? 

It is just as great. The very mildest case is capable 
of communicating the severest form to other children. 



314 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

How long after the commencement of an attack is it 
safe to permit a child to mingle with other children ? 

Rigid isolation should be maintained for at least six 
weeks, and longer if the skin is still desquamating 
(peeling). 

How is the disease communicated f 

The contagious principle is disseminated by the 
breath and by the skin, and can be carried in the 
clothing from the sick to the well. The vitality of this 
poison is very great, and may infect a room or clothing 
for a year, or indeed for several years. 

What is the special danger in scarlet fever ? 

In malignant and dangerous cases, the throat symp- 
toms are usually severe from the beginning of the dis- 
ease. In other cases the fever runs dangerously high, 
104 or 105 , and is accompanied by delirium or convul- 
sions. Even mild cases, or those which are mild at first, 
are liable to take on serious symptoms, unless great 
care is taken in the management of the case. After the 
first week the greatest danger is from dropsy, due to 
involvement of the kidneys. This latter affection is a 
form of Bright's disease, and it is liable to come on 
even after the child has been convalescent from the 
fever for several weeks. 

Is there any means of prevention in scarlet fever ? 

There is but one means of prevention, and that is to 
avoid exposure. If the disease is prevailing in the 
neighborhood, it will be quite proper to give a child 
three or four doses of belladonna daily. This drug is 
not to be depended upon as a prophylactic, but I am 
sure that it has the power to render the disease more 
mild and less dangerous. The belladonna should be 
given for several weeks, or until all danger is over. 



THE NURSERY IN SICKNESS. 315 

What is the proper treatment of scarlet fever ? 

In a disease so variable as this, and which is always 
attended with so much danger, it would be very unwise 
for any mother to attempt to treat it alone. Indeed, 
the same thing holds true of all the eruptive fevers of 
infancy. It is not possible or proper to layout a course 
of treatment for the entire course of the disease. All 
that is here possible is to indicate the first remedies to 
be given, and leave the further conduct of the case to 
the physician who will be called. 

If there is high fever, vomiting, and sore throat, the 
first remedies to be given are aconite and belladonna. 
These should be alternated every half-hour until the 
doctor arrives. If the disease should be inaugurated 
with convulsions, place the child as quickly as possible 
in a hot bath, and give the remedies just mentioned 
every fifteen minutes. (See page 289, Convulsions.) 
Should dropsical symptoms show themselves by puffi- 
ness of the eyelids, or bloating of the face or extremi- 
ties, give arsenicum hourly. 

The hygienic treatment of scarlet fever consists in the 
avoidance of cold draughts all through the disease, and 
in the maintenance of a uniform temperature of the 
sick-room. The child should be confined to bed with 
light covering, and no bathing or sponging of the body 
should be done without the sanction of a physician. 
Sometimes, after the eruption is well out, the itching of 
the skin is more or less troublesome. In such cases 
anoint the body all over once a day, or oftener, with 
olive oil or cocoa butter. This expedient is useful all 
through the disease, regardless of the itching, because 
it is something of a safeguard against taking cold, and 
it is especially useful in preventing the poisonous 
emanations from the skin from floating about the 
room. 



316 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Instead of olive oil, a very nice ointment for use in 
the eruptive fevers is made as follows: 

^ Cocoa butter. 2 ounces. 

Almond oil 10 drops. 

Rub well together in a mortar, and apply as needed. 
This application is largely used in this city, and is put 
up by many druggists and sold under the name of 
"Unguentum Graecorum." 

In prohibiting bathing during the course of the dis- 
ease, it is not to be understood as applying to the first hot 
bath at the commencement of the disease. This is use- 
ful in all eruptive diseases. Further bathing, however, 
had best be left to your medical adviser, who can best 
judge of its expediency and of the proper kind of bath 
to be given. 

The diet should be of the blandest character. Never 
urge a child to eat when suffering from an acute ill- 
ness. Even breast nursing should not be insisted upon. 
After the first shock of the disease is over, the appetite, 
if lost, will return without urging. 

MEASLES. (SEE EIG. 12.) 

What are the first symptoms of measles ? 

They are so like those of a cold in the head that an 
experienced physician can not tell the difference. The 
nose runs, the eyes weep, and there is sneezing and 
usually some cough. There is no eruption until the 
fourth day. Prior to this the child seems ordinarily 
well, except for the cold. There is sometimes a slight 
fever, but not always. 

How does measles differ from scarlet fever ? 

There is usually no sore throat with measles; and 
there is no catarrh with scarlet fever. The child is 
sleepy and dull, slightly feverish, but usually not ill 







No. 12. MEASLES. 
(See Page 316.) 



MEASLES. 317 

enough to go to bed. As the disease advances, how- 
ever, the fever increases, and by the fourth day it may 
carry the temperature to 102 or 103 F. At this time 
the characteristic rash appears, and differs from that 
of scarlet fever in being coarser, more scattered, and 
purplish in hue rather than scarlet. The eruption con- 
sists of flattened papules, slightly elevated above the 
surrounding skin, and about the size of a split pea. 
There is a tendency for the rash spots to run together, 
so as to form a crescent-shaped blotch. The eruption 
appears first upon the face, but spreads over the entire 
body in about twenty-four hours. The cough, which 
was among the earliest symptoms to appear, continues 
during the eruption, and it is the last symptom to dis- 
appear. The rash remains visible about four days, and 
fades away in the same order in which it came. For a 
week or more after its subsidence, there is a faint mot- 
tling of the skin, which is more apparent if the child is 
near a hot fire or becomes heated in play. 

How long does the disease last ? 

From the first symptoms of cold to entire subsidence 
of rash, from ten to twelve days, but the danger from 
exposure to cold lasts fully a month. 

What are the principal dangers from measles ? 
Pneumonia, bronchitis, and sore eyes. 

Does the skin peel off in this disease the same as in 
scarlet fever ? 

No. There may be some little desquamation of the 
cuticle, but the extensive peeling of scarlatina is 
seldom seen. 

Is measles contagious ? 

It is the most contagious disease known, smallpox 
not excepted. It is not infectious, however, to the 

21 



318 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

same extent that scarlatina is. It is spread abroad 
mostly by the breath or by the nasal discharge, and 
not by the clothing of a third person, as a rule. 

Do children have these diseases more than once ? 

Very rarely, indeed. Once in a while both scarlet 
fever and measles are repeated in the same individual, 
but this is to be regarded as a very rare exception. In 
cases where persons are accredited with having measles 
twice or thrice, it is more than likely that one time 
the disease was not measles, but rotheln, or German 
measles. 

What is the treatment for measles f 

As soon as the disease is recognized the child should 
be given a hot bath and put to bed. The same pre- 
cautions against taking cold should be observed as in 
the preceding disease. If the skin itches, the sweet- 
oil bath may be given at bedtime. 

Internally, the leading remedies are pulsatilla, which 
is usually sufficient to control the cough ; aconite if 
there is much fever ; belladonna if the child complains 
of headache or avoids the light. The light in the sick- 
room should be dimmed, and if the eyes are much 
inflamed they may be bathed with a weak solution of 
boracic acid or powdered borax. The further conduct 
of the case had best be left to the family physician. 

How does " German measles " differ from the other 
variety ? 

Rotheln, or German measles — sometimes called 
French measles — is of milder type. The eruption is 
more scattered, and is lighter in color. There is not so 
much catarrh — often none at all. The fever is not so 
high, and the child is not so ill. There is, however, 
a greater tendency to involve the glands of the neck 








4 i 



No. 13. GERMAN MEASLES (Rotheln). 
(See Page 318.) 



ROSEOLA. 319 

than in true measles. It docs not often attack a child 
under one year old. (See Fig. 13.) 

The disease is very variable, and sometimes resem- 
bles scarlet fever more than true measles. There is, 
however, no sore throat, and but little fever. It is quite 
contagious, and, like true measles, is very apt to 
appear in epidemic form. There is seldom much 
cough, although epidemics differ in this particular. 

Will you please give me the treatment ? 

But little treatment is necessary, except to keep the 
child reasonably warm. If there is doubt as to the 
diagnosis, the physician should be sent for, and his 
advice adhered to. 

ROSEOLA. 

What sort of disease is roseola ? 

"Roseola" is a very vague term which is used quite 
variously by different authors and physicians,- l^tit is 
usually, and should always be, understood to refer to 
a transient and trifling eruption lasting from twelve to 
thirty-six hours, and generally accompanying some dis- 
turbance of the stomach. 

What arc its symptoms ? 

It comes on suddenly, tike scarlet fever — sometimes 
with vomiting, but not always ; the eruption is quite 
like that of scarlatina, but differs in this essential partic- 
ular, that it is not uniformly distributed over the body. 
It often gives to the face a deep scarlet flush, but the 
flush does not extend over the neck, chest, body, and 
limbs in regular succession, but shows itself here and 
there in patches of various sizes. In some cases it 
appears first on the limbs or body, and may not affect the 
face and head at all. I have occasionally seen cases in 
which sore throat was present, but this is extremely 
rare. The fever is usually slight, but may be for a few 



320 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

hours quite high. There is also, as a rule, a coating on 
the tongue. 

If roseola and scarlet fever are so nearly alike, I do not 
see how one can tell the difference ? 

I have been puzzled myself in several instances, but 
a few hours have sufficed to make out a clear diagnosis. 
Roseola rarely lasts more than from twelve to twenty- 
four hours ; when the eruption disappears the fever 
subsides and the child feels quite well again, save, pos- 
sibly, a coated tongue and a temporary loss of appetite. 

What is the cause of this disease ? 

It may come from indigestion or nervousness. Some 
children are very subject to it, and especially after 
eating certain articles of food, such as lobsters, or any 
shell fish. It is more a child's than an infant's disease. 
It is described by some authors under the head of 
" ephemeral fever y It is not contagious. It never 
affects infants at the breast. 

What is the treatment ? 

If the bowels are not freely open give an enema, or 
use a glycerine suppository in the rectum. Stop all 
feeding for a time and give the stomach a needed rest. 

Internally give aconite every half-hour while the 
fever lasts. If the head aches, and especially if the 
throat is sore, alternate the aconite with belladonna. 
After the fever has subsided, if the tongue is still 
coated and there is a loss of appetite, give nux vomica 
for a day or two at intervals of one or two hours. 

CHICKEN POX (VARICELLA). 

What are the symptoms of chicken pox ? 
This is another of the so-called eruptive fevers of 
infancy, but it rarely attacks those under six months 



CHICK EX POX. 321 

of age. It is contagious, and rarely affects the same 
person twice. It closely resembles the mildest cases of 
varioloid, although the two diseases are quite distinct, 
and have nothing in common except a close resem- 
blance. The disease is always mild, and prodromal 
symptoms are absent. The discovery of the character- 
istic eruption is usually the 'first symptom noticeable. 
Sometimes there is a slight fever just before and during 
the presence of the eruption, which is quite like that 
known as "red gum" or strophulus. It consists at first 
of rose-colored spots appearing first on the neck and 
trunk, and which change in a few hours into vesicles 
(that is, pimples with a white top). These vesicles 
number from a dozen or so to some hundreds, and are 
from an eighth to a quarter of an inch in diameter. 
They are filled with a clear, watery fluid, and are some- 
times painful and surrounded by a bright red halo. 
The pimples come out in crops, rapidly change into 
vesicles, the older ones quickly drying up and forming 
scabs. The attack lasts a week or more. The eruption 
is quite prone to invade the scalp. 

What is requisite in the z^av of treatment f 
The child should be confined to the house, and kept 
away from other children ; but as the disease is not 
infectious, there is no need of that rigid isolation which 
is necessary in scarlet fever and measles. The con- 
tagion is communicated by the breath and perhaps by 
the scabs, but it does not cling to the walls or clothing. 
The child must not be allowed to pick at or scratch the 
scabs, as this is liable to leave scars. If the vesicles are 
large and numerous a physician should be consulted, 
who may deem it necessary to use measures to prevent 
scarring. No internal remedies are necessary. The 
disease is self-limited, and can not be controlled by 
drugs. 



322 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 
VACCINIA VACCINATION. 

At what age should a child be vaccinated? 

Usually when three or four months of age. There 
are several reasons why it should be done before the 
infant is much older than this. The principal reason 
is that the sooner it is protected from the terrible 
disease, smallpox, the better, for there is no telling 
when exposure may take place. Another reason for 
early vaccination is that there is always some malaise, 
some disturbance of constitution accompanying the 
vaccination, and after a child has reached the age of 
six months teething begins, and continues to be a 
source o£ disturbance, more or less, all during infancy. 
Hence it is best to have the vaccination over before 
teething begins. There is still another reason why it 
is best to have the vaccination over earty, and that is, a 
young infant in arms is more easily cared for, and less 
likely to scratch the sore and tear it open than when 
older. 

Then you believe in vaccination, do you ? 

Most emphatically. I do not see how anyone who is 
possessed with all of his faculties can fail to note how 
seldom a death occurs from smallpox now as compared 
with the days before vaccination was employed as a 
preventative. There was a time when smallpox carried 
off more people of all ages than all other diseases com- 
bined, and now it is comparatively unheard of. If 
vaccination were not practiced, however, it would soon, 
in all probability, be as prevalent and as fatal as it was 
formerly. No fact in medicine has been more clearly 
demonstrated than the protective power of vaccination. 

Is there not danger of contracting other diseases, 
through vaccination, quite as much to be dreaded as 
smallpox itself? 



VACCINATION. 388 

The supposed dangers of transmitting other diseases 
by vaccination are wholly imaginary. If there ever 
was any such danger it has entirely disappeared under 
improved methods of propagating and using the virus. 
The danger of erysipelas or of blood poisoning setting 
in is not a whit greater from vaccination than from a 
scratch or sore originating in some other way. 

HViat is the best place for the vaccination, on the arm 
or on the leg? 

I much prefer the calf of the leg, as it is most easily 
cared for there, and sometimes it needs a good deal of 
care for several weeks. Girl babies should certainly 
never be vaccinated on any part of the arm where the 
scar will be a blemish in after years. The thigh or the 
leg is a much more desirable place. 

How long after vaccination before it begins to " take " ? 

Nothing is seen until the second or third day, when a 
red pimple (papule) appears on the site where the virus 
was used, which grows larger, until the fifth or sixth 
day, when it becomes a vesicle filled with watery fluid. 
This vesicle increases in size until the eighth day, when 
it is nearly as large as a ten-cent piece. By the tenth 
day the watery fluid has changed into matter and the 
vesicle has become a pustule, with its contents yellowish 
and cloudy, and with a broad red ring around it, from 
two to three inches in diameter. By the eleventh or 
twelfth day the inflammatory redness diminishes and 
the fluid begins to dry. In two or three more days the 
scab is well formed, and by the end of three weeks or 
thereabouts this falls off and leaves a mottled white scar. 

Is there much fever attending vaccination ? 
There is usually some fever, beginning on the third 
or fourth day, and lasting until the eighth or tenth day. 



324 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

Hozv should the vaccination be guarded? 

The vaccinated limb should not be bathed until the 
sore is well healed. After the vesicle begins to form it 
should be protected from injury by a vaccination shield, 
or by a pad of borated or salicylated cotton fastened on 
loosely with a roller bandage or adhesive plaster. If 
there is an undue amount of inflammation in the sur- 
rounding tissues, it may be treated like any other inflam- 
mation, viz., by soothing applications like witch hazel, 
soda, or boric acid solutions. If the child is much 
feverish an occasional dose of aconite or belladonna 
may be given, but ordinarily it is best to let the whole 
disease run its typical course without interference. 

How long docs vaccination, provided it takes, afford 
immunity from smallpox ? 

Most children who have been successfully vaccinated 
are permanently protected for the balance of their 
lives, but in some cases this protection ceases, in a 
measure, after a number of years. If smallpox is pre- 
vailing in the neighborhood, everyone in the household 
should be revaccinated if it has not been successfully 
done within a very few years. If the vaccination is 
made with fresh virus, and it is unsuccessful, the prob- 
ability is that complete immunity exists. In the case 
of infants, if the first vaccination is not successful, it 
should be repeated at intervals until success is achieved. 

Is tlicre any way by which vaccination can be rendered 
painless ? 

Yes, there is a method by which all pain can be 
obviated, and by which an infant can be vaccinated, if 
desired, while asleep. This painless method consists of 
raising a very small blister on the selected site, and 
applying the virus on the raw surface after the blister 
has been punctured and the water let out. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 325 

How is this accomplished? 

Ask your druggist to place a small dot of cant liar ides 
ointment on a piece of rubber adhesive plaster an inch 
square. Apply to the leg or arm when the child retires 
for the night. In the morning, having secured a fresh 
vaccine "point," prick the cuticle which covers the 
blistered surface and lay this surface open. Now mop 
up the serum or blister water with a bit of absorbent 
cotton. You have now a tiny raw surface upon which 
you rub the vaccine point after having dipped it in 
clear water, and the vaccination is effected. It is 
better not to cover the surface over 
immediately with plaster or other- 
wise, because the covering is apt to 
absorb the virus before the skin has 
opportunity to do so. Leave the 
surface exposed for some little time 
— a half -hour or so — until quite dry, 

after which you may cover it up with 
Plaster for Pain- . r J1 . -, 1 1 

less Vaccination a P iece of adhesive plaster or a band- 

showing Dot of age, or, better still, a vaccination 

CANTHARIDES IN 1 • 1 t 1 • 1 t_, - r 

Center shield, which you can obtain from 

any druggist. Care should be taken 

to secure fresh cantharides ointment, and only a mere 

dot of it should be used. The speck of ointment should 

never be larger than the head of a pin. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Is a cap worn on the baby's head at night necessary to 
keep the ears from standing out ? 

It is very doubtful if any alteration in the shape of 
the ears can be accomplished in this way. If the ears 
stand out prominently enough to be a defect, a slight 
surgical operation will easily remedy the deformity. 



326 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

BED-WETTING (INCONTINENCE OF URINE). 

Is there any way to break a cliild from wetting the bed 
while asleep ? 

The habit of wetting the bed at night, which is a very 
common infirmity, should be regarded as a disease and 
treated accordingly ; not by scoldings or punishments, 
but by regulating the child's habits and by proper 
medicines internally administered. 

In a normal state of the bladder, when the child feels 
the desire to void the urine, the sensation is sufficient 
to awaken him even from sound sleep. But if the 
bladder is irritable, or if the neck of the bladder is re- 
laxed, the act is involuntary. Such children, and in- 
deed all children, should be taught to use the chair just 
before retiring, and should be taken up again when the 
family retires for the night. 

The child should eat an early and light supper and 
not allowed much fluid thereafter. The mattress 
should be protected with a rubber sheet, and the in- 
fant's wet night-clothes changed for dry ones as soon 
as possible. A child with this infirmity should be made 
to lie on the side rather than on the back, and should 
not be too warmly covered. In some exceptional cases 
this bad habit may be corrected by "moral suasion" or 
by mild punishment, but as a rule extreme measures 
will be of no avail. Among the remedies best calcu- 
lated to correct the trouble are nux vomica, bella- 
donna, and cqnisctum hyentale. 

If these measures fail, a physician should be con- 
sulted. 

" CHILD-CROWING." 

I have heard of young children, infants indeed, having 
a disease called "ch ild-cr owing. ' ' Will you please describe 
it, and tell me what to do for it ? 



MISCELLANEOUS. 327 

What you refer to is a respiratory spasm, and is 
known by various names, laryngismus stridulus, spasm 
of the glottis, inward spasm, etc. It is a very frequent 
accompaniment of rickets. 

It is a local spasm, and is usually confined to the 
glottis — the opening in the windpipe — but in some 
cases all of the respiratory muscles may participate. 
In mild cases there is a slight stridulous or crowing 
sound made during inspiration, caused by the air 
passing through the contracted glottis. 

In severe cases the child becomes pale or even blue 
before the spasm yields. The paroxysms may occur at 
any time without warning, sleeping or waking, when 
feeding or wdien laughing or crying. 

They are more common, how T ever, at night. The 
spasm may last but a few seconds or continue for a 
minute or two. During its continuance the infant 
seems to be in great peril, which in reality it is, for 
sometimes such a convulsion results fatally. It is 
always a reflex phenomenon, and is more often than 
otherwise caused from teething. Any irritation of the 
nervous system may give rise to it. As the child may 
seem perfectly w r ell in the intervals and breathe per- 
fectly naturally, the great danger lies in the suddenness 
of the spasm and failure to apply at once the proper 
means for relief. These measures have already been 
described under the head of " Convulsions," but as this 
affection differs from ordinary spasms in many of its 
symptoms, so the treatment is necessarily somewhat 
modified. The hot bath previously recommended is 
of value here, but valuable time can not be wasted in 
getting a bath in readiness. While waiting for it, dash 
cold w^ater into the child's face, and sharply slap the 
back and buttocks. Apply ammonia to the nostrils, or, 
still better, give a few whiffs of chloroform. 



328 ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 

In .some paroxysms put your finger down the child's 
throat and pull the tongue forward. This latter expe- 
dient is of the greatest moment. Pulling the tongue 
forward lifts up the epiglottis (valve covering the 
glottis), and thus admits some air into the lungs. 
During the spasm the epiglottis is quite apt to drop 
down over the aperture of the glottis and shut off the 
entrance of air entirely. A child who has once experi- 
enced a spasm of this character should be watched 
with great care until the producing cause is removed 
and the danger permanently overcome. 

The remedies most likely to prevent a recurrence 
of the spasms are gelsemium, belladonna, and hyos- 
cyamus. 

PROTRUSION OF THE LOWER BOWEL (PROLAPSUS ANl). 

What causes a baby's bowel to protrude, and what can 
be done for it ? 

Constipation and consequent straining at stool are 
the prime causes ; but I have known whooping cough 
to be so severe that the prolonged paroxysm of cough- 
ing forced the mucous lining of the bowel down and 
caused prolapsus. Whatever the cause the parts should 
be well greased with vaseline or sweet oil, and gentle 
pressure made upon the protruded parts with the 
thumb and fingers until the parts go back in place. 
A pad of absorbent cotton or linen cloth should be 
worn and pressed against the anus with the hand 
during severe spells of coughing. If constipation is 
the cause it should be remedied first of all by diet, and 
possibly sweet oil enemata. If any difficulty is experi- 
enced in effecting a reduction of the protrusion, apply 
cloths wet in cold water, or even a piece of ice, for a 
few minutes before attempting reduction. 



APPENDIX. 329 



APPENDIX. 

POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 

It is very uncommon for an infant or child, when its 
parents are provided with homeopathic medicines solely, 
to be poisoned. To those who comprehend the true 
spirit and theory of homeopathic medication, it will not 
seem at all strange that the medicines we administer 
are powerful for good, and yet may be taken — most of 
them at least — in considerable doses without serious 
harm. Sick tissues are very much more easily affected 
by drugs than sound ones. This is illustrated every day 
by facts which show how susceptibilities change by 
trifling causes which produce inflammation in organs 
and parts. Healthy eyes are affected pleasantly by 
light, but if the eye is inflamed, the smallest ray of 
light is exquisitely painful. The healthy ear can bear 
the sound of a cannon, but if the ear is inflamed, the 
slightest noise causes pain. The bladder in health tol- 
erates urine which is salty and often acrid, but if its 
mucous lining is inflamed, every drop of urine is voided 
immediately and with straining and pain. 

These illustrations show that a small quantity of even 
a poisonous drug may be taken with scarcely percepti- 
ble effect, if the system is in a healthy condition, but 
may prove harmful or curative if the S3 T stem is rendered 
by disease in a hypersensitive condition. 

Besides there is what may be called a special affinity 
between certain drugs and certain tissues. This is 
going rather deeper into drug action than is necessary 
in a work like this, but I wish to make ) r ou understand 
how a simple drop of homeopathic medicine may make 
a profound and curative effect on a diseased tissue, and 
yet may not poison a child in ordinary health. 



330 



ALL ABOUT THE BABY. 



It is very unwise, however, to leave vials of homeo- 
pathic medicines where young children can get at them, 
and it is equally unwise to trust their administration to 
an ignorant or careless nurse. While our remedies are 
not ordinarily harmful, if taken more freely or liberally 
than necessary, they should always be given with regu- 
larity and system if good results are expected. 

It sometimes happens, however, in the best regulated 
families, that anodynes, narcotics, and other poisons are 
left carelessly about, and hence are liable to be taken 
by toddling infants. We append, therefore, a table of 
antidotes for use in such emergencies. This table 
does not apply if the poisons enumerated are taken 
in homeopathic doses, and out of a regularly filled 
homeopathic case. They refer to the crude drug or 
poison in all cases, and in presumably or possibly dan- 
gerous quantities. The first thing to do in such an 
accident is to excite vomiting. 

TABLE OF POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 

POISON. ANTIDOTES. 

. ., , - ( Some alkali, such as magnesia, 

Acid- acetic sulphuric, ni- j chalk sod or followed 

trie, or hydrochloric | by sweet oil# 

. .. ... ( Spirits ammonia; vinegar; epsom 

Acid-carbolic - - -j r saltS) and the nxed oils> 

Acid— oxalic and salts of j Emetic, followed by lime or mag- 
lemon \ nesia ; then soothing drinks. 

( Emetic, stimulants externally and 

Aconite— tincture j internally. 

. , , . , ' t ., ( Emetic ; cold water to head ; 

Alcohol — whisky, brandy, \ warmth to extremities; artificial 

etc - ( respiration. 

Alkalies — ammonia, harts- j Vinegar or lemon juice, followed 

horn, lye, caustic potash. { by sweet oil and soothing drinks. 
( Strong tea, milk, or other soothing 
Antimony— tartar emetic.-. -J drinks; castor oil to empty bow- 
Arsenic— Fowler's solution, j Emetic; white of egg; sweet oil; 

paris green.., . ( soothing drinks. 



APPENDIX. 



331 



Belladonna — atropine. 

Carbolic acid 

Chloral hydrate 



Chloroform 



Corrosive sublimate — bug 
poison 

Gas — illuminating, fuel, and 
coal gas 

Iodine 

Laudanum 

Lead — sugar of lead 



Matches 

Morphine 

Nux vomica. 



Opium — paregoric, lauda- 
num, soothing syrups, etc. 



Paris green 



Phosphorus — match heads 
some roach and rat poi 
sons 



i 



Poisonous plants — jimson 
weed, toadstools, tobacco, 
deadly nightshade, etc 

Strychnia — nux vomica 



Tainted food. 



ANTIDOTES. 

Emetic, strong tea or coffee stim- 
ulants. 

See acids. 

Same as for opium poisoning. 

Cold douche; friction of skin; in- 
verting child; artificial respira- 
tion. 

Emetic, followed by white of egg 
or milk; soothing drinks. 

Fresh air; artificial respiration; 
inhalations of ammonia ; cold 
douche. 

Starch or white flour mixed with 
water and given freely; follow 
with emetic. 

See opium. 

Emetic, followed by epsom salts, 
white of egg, or 'milk; alkaline 
waters, such as Hunyadi. 

See phosphorus. 

Same as opium. 

See strychnine. 

Permanganate of potash in doses 
of three to five grains; strong 
coffee ; move child about and 
prevent sleep; apply cold water 
to head and spine; in extreme 
.cases use artificial respiration. 

Same as arsenic. 

Sulphate of copper in solution, one 
to three grains every few min- 
utes until vomiting begins; then 
epsom salts or seidlitz powder 
to move bowels; no oil of any 
kind. 

Emetic; strong coffee, whisky, or 
brandy; ammonia inhalations; 
artificial respiration. 

Bromide of potash freely; hydrate 
of chloral; tincture o'f aconite; 
vinegar. 

Empty stomach by emetic or finger 
in throat; afterward, if food has 
been long retained, castor oil as 
purgative. 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Accessory foods 120 

Acme water cooler „ . . . . 51 

Acme water cooler, illustration of 309 

Aconite — fever 223 

Albumen water 121 

All babies at first walk "pigeon-toed" 147 

Amiable qualities in nursemaid essential. . . „ 54 

Animal food in excess a cause of gravel 217 

Antidotes for poison — see Appendix 330 

Antiseptics— see Disinfectants 310 

Appendix 329 

Arnica — bumps and bruises 223 

Arnold's Sterilizer 94 

Arrowroot and tapioca unsuited to young infants 101-107 

Arsenicum Alb — watery diarrhoea 223 

Artificial feeding ■ 88 

Artificial foods, how given 103 

Average age for walking 147 

Baby band, crocheted 32 

Baby basket, articles for 33 

Baby foods, domestic 105 

Baby powders 183 

Bad habits easily formed = 156 

"Bag of water" 41 

Bald-headed babies 151 

Bananas for babies 118 

Baptisia — fever 224 

Barley water, how prepared 105 

"Bassinet," the 156 

"Bassinet" — what is it? 160 

Bath, duration of 183 

Baths, how often given 178 



INDEX. 

Bathing 174 

Bathing as a habit 182 

Bathing of delicate infants 184 

Bath, powder after 183 

Bath, suspension of during illness 184 

Bath, temperature of 179 

Bath, the first 174 

Bath Thermometer , 34 

Bath-tub described 178 

Bathing, precautions in 185 

Bath, requisites for 178 

Bath with oil ...'.. 175 

Bed-wetting 326 

Beef tea, how prepared 123 

Beef tea in fifteen minutes 124 

Beer or wine for nursing women 69 

Belladonna — head 224 

Benefits of nursing to the mother 61 

Birth-marks 14 

Birth-marks 277 

Bladder should always be emptied before child is put to 

sleep 170 

Boils not a sign of good health 281 

Boils," treatment for 282 

Bottle-feeding, frequency of 118 

Bowels, movements of 173 

Bow legs, universal in infancy " 235 

Boys, greater mortality among 151 

Brain, inflammation of 295 

Bran bath — how prepared 187 

Bread jelly, or bread pap 106 

Breasts, bathing of while nursing 27 

Breasts, care of during pregnancy 25 

Breasts, first milk in 65 

Breasts, broken 66 

Breasts, swelling of in new born 235 

Breathing cold air not injurious 167 

Brick-dust sediment, significance of 216 

Bronchitis, capillary 297 

Bryonia — cold 224 

Burns, how treated 306 

22 



INDEX. 

Buttons, swallowed 306 

Caked breasts 74 

Calcarea Phos. — rickets 225 

Camphor — cholera 225 

Cap, to keep the ears from standing out 325 

Care of bottles and nipples 103 

Castor oil unnecessary directly after birth 174 

Catarrh, infantile, remedies for 267 

Chafing, how treated 187 

Chafing, remedies for 283 

Chair vs. diaper 150 

"Chalk mixture" in diarrhoea not good 250 

Chamomilla, "the baby's own medicine" 225 

Change in form from pregnancy 12 

Change of diet unnecessary except for cause 125 

Changing remedies if no improvement is quickly seen 221 

Characteristics of healthy infant 137 

Character of cry in bronchitis and pneumonia .210 

Character of healthy cry 132 

Chevasse, on power of kindness 211-212 

Chevasse's milk food 123 

Chest, medicine, list of remedies for 219 

Chicken broth 124 

Chicken-pox, symptoms of 320 

Chicken-pox, treatment of 321 

"Child crowing" 326 

Childhood, period of 139 

China— weakness 225 

Chocolate or cocoa for nursing women 70 

Cholera infantum, symptoms of 260 

Cholera infantum, treatment of 261 

Cholera infantum, value of enemeta in 262 

Cholera infantum vs. Asiatic cholera 259 

Chronic illness, symptoms of 214 

Circumcision, frequently advisable 304 

Circumcision, no danger from 304 

Circumcision, operation for 304 

City vs. Country, for teething infants 252 

Cleanly habits should be learned early 150 

Clinical thermometer 135 

Clothing during pregnancy 20 



INDEX. 

Cobb, Henry Ives, nursery plan 44 

Coddling infants unwise 153 

Coffee and tea while nursing 63 

Coin, swallowed 306 

Colds and coughs 297 

Cold in the head 267 

Cold in the head, hygienic treatment of 267 

Cold weather, unobjectionable if dry and sunny 169 

Cold, young infants very sensitive to 154 

Colic caused by mother's diet 70 

Colic, causes of 241 

Colic, danger from 241 

Colic, dangers from using cordials, soothing syrups, in 243 

Colic, from mother's diet 63 

Colic not relieved by nursing 242 

Colic, prevention of 241 

Colic, treatment of 242 

Colocynth in cases of colic 243 

Colocynthis — for colic 226 

Color of eyes at birth 132 

Color of new-born babe 131 

Colostrum, definition of. 177 

Colostrum, nature's physic 64 

Colostrum, what it is 64 

Commercial baby foods, advantages of 108 

Condensed milk — Anglo-Swiss vs. American 102 

Condensed milk, how diluted 102 

Condensed milk, fresh vs. canned 101 

Condie, on infantile vomiting 207 

Constipation, always due to errors in diet 263 

Constipation, enemata for 264 

Constipation, glycerine suppositories for 265 

Constipation, Mellin's Food in 266 

Constipation often due to habit 266 

Constipation should never be treated with Castoria or other 

laxatives 263 

Convulsions, first remedies in 289 

Convulsions often the precursor of contagious diseases ,289 

Cord, dressing the 175 

Cord, falling off of 176 

Cow's milk vs. human milk , 88 



INDEX. 

Cracked nipples 66 

Cream; how to ascertain proportion of cream in specimen 

of milk 100 

Creeping 146 

Creeping, good effects of 190 

Crib, descriptions of proper 162 

Crib, furnishings for 162 

Crib, hangings about bed objectionable 166 

Crib, its early use advocated 156 

Crib, should not be too closely covered at the head 165 

Croup, age when most frequent 276 

Croup from deranged stomach 277 

Croup kettle 276 

Croupous diphtheria 270 

Croup, spasmodic, symptoms of 275 

Croup, spasmodic, treatment of 276 

Croup, spasmodic, vs. true croup 277 

Cry, character of, when due to temper .132 

Cry, character of, when due to whims and caprices 133 

Cry from being handled 209 

Cry, healthy 132 

Crying beneficial 132 

Crying, danger of rupture from 133 

Crying, first act of new-born babe '. ... 132 

Crying when voiding urine 216 

Crying not always due to illness 132 

Cry of earache 209 

Cry of hunger 133 

Cry of pain 209 

Cry that indicates brain disease 209 

Cry, the, in sickness 208 

Cry, varieties of, and their significance 210 

Daily bath for pregnant women 18 

Daily outing, best time for 167 

Daily outing, how long permissible 168 

Danger from rocking the baby to make it sleep 157 

Danger of lifting child by the arms 190 

Deafness, from inflammation of ears 239 

Decay of teeth always begins from without 200-201 

Deficiency of milk, how remedied 68 

Delicate children 153 



INDEX. 

Dentition, disorders of 247 

Dentistry during pregnancy 27 

Departures from health 203 

Disease, liability of pregnant women to 27 

Development 139 

Development, changes in features during 145 

Development, effect of sickness on 141 

Development of chest 142 

Development of head and chest relative to height 144 

Development of senses 145 

Development should not be prematurely forced 148 

Diapers, care of 32 

Diapers, cotton vs. linen 31 

Diapers, number needed 31 

Diaper of rubber disapproved of 33 

Diapers should not be washed in nursery 49 

Diapers, size of 30 

Diaper, when to be dispensed with 150 

Diarrhoea always a symptom 257 

Diarrhoea from teething 249 

Diarrhoea, remedies for 257-259 

Diarrhoea sometimes salutary 256 

Diarrhoea, various causes of, besides teething 253 

Diet during pregnancy 16 

Diet when suffering from "morning sickness" 38-39 

Differences in children as to sensitiveness 153 

Disinfectants and antiseptics 310 

Diphtheria, best treatment for 272 

Diphtheria, complications of 270 

Diphtheria contagious 271 

Diphtheria, croupous 270 

Diphtheria, danger from heart failure 273 

Diphtheria, dangers in during convalescence 271 

Diphtheria, duration of 270 

Diphtheria, feeding in 274 

Diphtheria, futility of pineapple juice 274 

Diphtheria, intubation in 274 

Diphtheria, most dangerous symptoms in 270 

Diphtheria, precautions necessary to be taken in 274 

Diphtheria, symptoms of 269 

Doctor Presnitz 181 



INDEX. 

Dose of homeopathic medicine .223 

"Draught," the 64 

Draughts about floor 188 

Dress of new born infant 29 

Dribbling, excessive while teething 199 

Dried milk foods 117 

"Dry labor" 41 

Earache, remedies for 240 

Ear, foreign bodies in the 305 

Ears, inflammation of ... 239 

Ears, precautions in syringing the 240 

Ears, standing out of the 325 

Eczema 279 

Eight-months' babies 231 

Electricity in cases of deficient secretion of milk 69 

Emergencies, post-partum 231 

Enemeta, directions for giving 264 

Enemeta for constipation 264 

"Eneuritis," meaning of 21 

Eugene Field, "The Children's Poet" 158 

Examination prior to confinement 15 

Excoriations aggravated by soap 187 

Exercise, necessity of, for infants 187 

Eye, foreign bodies in 305 

Eyes, frequently change color after birth 150 

Eyes, half closure of, a sign of illness 215 

Fairy tales for children 56 

Falls, injuring head 307 

" False pains" 40 

Family table not for infants 125 

Farinaceous baby foocjs, list of Ill 

Farinaceous foods dangerous for young infants 101 

Feeding, best food to supplement mother's deficiency in par- 
tial nursing 75 

Feeding with spoon 232 

"Feeling life," when first felt 12 

Females less liable to disease than males 151 

First toilet 176 

Florida as a health resort for sick children 253 

Flour ball 106 

Form, change in, from pregnancy 12 



INDEX. 

Fontenelles, changes in 144 

Fontenelle, the centenarian, was very delicate in infancy. . .233 

Food and feeding 59 

Food, artificial, never a full substitute for breast 65 

Foods, domestic 105 

Food, tainted, see Appendix 331 

Foreign bodies in ear or eye, how treated 305 

Foreign bodies in nose 306 

French 'measles, see German measles 318 

Fresh air in nursery, how obtained 45 

Fruit and vegetables while nursing 63 

Fruit diet in pregnancy, Dr. Aimee Schroeder on 17 

Fumigation of sick room - 311 

Gelatin food 121 

Gelsemium — nervousness 226 

German measles vs. true measles 318 

Gertrude patterns 34,35,36 

Gertrude patterns, where obtained 34 

Gestation, period of 11 

Gestation, variation in period of 11 

Glandular enlargements 277 

Glottis, spasm of 327 

Grosvenor, Dr. L. C 34 

"Growing pains," see Rheumatism 291 

Gum Arabic water 121 

Gums, lancing of the 192 

Gum, stick, the best 199 

Habits in infancy more readily formed than corrected 160 

Hair, first usually lost 150 

Hair, no dressing needed for 186 

Half nursing 68 

Hardening children 152 

Harsh measures incompatible with well-bred children 153 

Headache, causes of , . .285 

Headache, remedies for 285 

Head, care of 151 

Head, falls, hurting the 307 

Head, soft spot in 144 

Health, signs of 131 

Healthy infant, characteristics of 137 

Healthy throat, color of 268 



INDEX. 

Heart troubles, better at sea level 253 

Hepar Sulph.— croup 226 

Hip joint disease, signs of 147 

Hives, symptoms of 283 

Hood, Tom, on the water cure 182 

How to tell if baby is well nourished 71 

How to secure an infant's sleep 157 

Hugo, Victor, "Twice the child of his persistent mother".. 233 

Human milk, best substitute for 65 

Hydrocephalus, symptoms of , 294 

Ice during teething to satisfy thirst 171 

Ideal plan for nursery 44 

Impediments to nursing 65 

Impending labor, signs of 41 

Imperial Granum, how prepared Ill 

Incontinence of urine 326 

Indications for remedies 222-223 

Infancy, period of . 139 

Infant's medicine chest 219 

Infant's wardrobe 30 

Inflammation of brain 295 

Inflammation of lungs 298 

Influence of mother on child in utero. 13 

Ingoldsby Legends 199 

Insect stings, best application for 286 

Internal spasms — see child-crowing 327 

Ipecac, vomiting 226 

Jaundice, in new born 234 

Kali bich — sore throat 227 

Keep the stomach for food rather than medicine 174 

Kicking the clothes off at night, how avoided 163 

King Richard the Third 191 

Koumis 123 

Labor, signs of approaching 40 

"Lactometer," uses of 100 

Lancing the gums 192 

Lancing the gums, indications for 193 

Lancing the gums, object of 193 

Lancing the gums, repetition of sometimes necessary 193 

Laryngismus stridulus 327 

Las Vegas for consumptives 253 



INDEX. 

Laudanum, often fatal to infants 156 

Laughter, when first observable 149 

Length, average of new-born babe 141 

Liebig foods, description of Ill 

Lifting the baby; how it should be done 190 

Light in nursery 51 

Lime water during teething 248 

Lime water, how made 97 

Lime water vs. soda 97 

Lincoln Park Sanitarium for Sick Babies 252 

"Lung fever" „ 297 

Lung troubles improved in Colorado 253 

Malted milk 116 

Maltine for nursing women 69 

Marasmus, cause and treatment 294 

Marasmus (wasting) 294 

Marbles, swallowed 306 

"Massage" for infants 189 

Measles, contagious character of 317 

Measles, cough in 317 

Measles, danger from 317 

Measles, duration of 317 

Measles, peeling of skin in 317 

Measles, first symptoms of 316 

Measles, German — how differ from regular measles... „ 318 

Measles, rarely had but once 318 

Measles, temperature in 317 

Measles, treatment of 318 

Measles vs. scarlet fever 316 

Meconium, definition of 177 

Medicine chest, list of medicines for 219 

Medicine not to be given if child is sleeping 221 

Meigs' Gelatin Food 121 

Mellin's Food, how made 113 

Mellin's Food in constipation 115 

Mellin's Food with condensed milk 115 

Membranous croup vs. diphtheria 271 

Menses interferes with nursing '. 77 

Mercurius — glandular troubles, etc 227 

Midwives should as a rule be avoided 16 

Milk, composition of human 88 



INDEX. 

Milk, condensed, how made 101 

Milk crust 279 

Milk; curd of cow's milk 89 

Milk, fat of 89 

Milk, germs in 91 

Milk, how to tell if slightly "turned" 100 

Milk, human vs. cow's 88 

Milk, in breasts of new-born infants 235 

Milk, lime water with 96 

Milk, none in breasts after three days' waiting 65 

Milk, Pasteurized 91 

Milk, salts of 88 

Milk should not be boiled 91 

Milk, sterilized 92 

Miscarriages, causes of 24 

Miscarriage, first signs of 23 

Miscarriages, how treated , 24 

Miscarriages, remedies for ^25 

Miscarriages, when most frequent 23 

Moles (birth-marks) 277 

Monthly nurse, choice of 16 

Monthly nurse; when to call her 40 

Morning sickness, danger of 39 

Morning sickness, diet in 38 

Morning sickness in pregnancy, cause of 37 

Morning sickness, remedies for 39 

Morning sickness, treatment of 38 

Mortality of sexes compared 151 

Mother, earliest recognition of 148 

Mountains vs. seashore for sick babies 253 

Mutton broth 124 

Napkins should not be washed in nursery 49 

Navel, bleeding from 233 

Navel cord 234 

Navel cord, after dressing of 234 

Neavi (birth-marks) 277 

Nervous mothers vs. nervous babies 13 

Nestle's Food 116 

Nettle rash, treatment of 284 

Newton, Sir Isaac, mark at birth 233 

Night-feeding, when to stop it 169 



INDEX. 

Nipples, care of 26 

Nipples, care of when not sore 74 

Nipples that crack or suppurate 66 

Nose, foreign bodies in the 306 

Nurse, disinfection of 312 

Nursemaids, aphorisms concerning 57 

Nursemaid not the child's own mother 55 

Nursemaid should be well paid 56 

Nursemaid, the <. 52 

Nursemaid, the essential requisite of 52 

Nurse, monthly, choice of 16 

Nursery, artificial light for 51 

Nursery, best light for 51 

Nursery, how rendered contagion-proof 308 

Nursery, how transformed into hospital 308 

Nursery, location and furnishings of 42, 46, 47 

Nursery, pictures and plants in 47, 48 

Nursery, plan of 44 

Nursery rhymes, value of 158 

Nursery, selection of 310 

Nursery, single-room 45 

Nursery, single room 309 

Nursery, stationary washstand in 49 

Nursery, temperature of . 50 

Nursery, the 42 

Nursery, the, in sickness 307 

Nurse, trained, vs. "Old Auntie" 37- 

Nursery, ventilation of 48 

Nursing, a duty that cannot be ignored by the young 

mother 61 

Nursing, advantages of 61 

Nursing, danger of too frequent 73 

Nursing, frequency of during first few days. 72 

Nursing, frequency of during first month 73 

Nursing; how long permissible at one time 72 

Nursing, mechanism of 66 

Nursing, no detriment to mother's health. 62 

Nursing, position of mother in 62 

Nursing, proper intervals for, after first month „ . 73 

Nursing; should child take one or both breasts at one 

nursing? 71 



INDEX. 

Nursing sore mouth; remedies for 79 

Nursing; what diseases in mother are prohibitory 62 

Nursing, while breast is broken 75 

Nux vomica — indigestion 228 

Oatmeal with milk 123 

One cow's milk not desirable 99 

Ophthalmia . . .236 

Ophthalmia, duration of 239 

Ophthalmia neonatorum, danger from 236 

Opium, danger of giving 155 

Outing; at what age can the baby go out of doors? 168 

Outing, best time for 167 

Outings should be guided by the weather 169 

Overfeeding, dangers of 119 

Overflow from breasts 66 

Overlaying, danger from 156 

Painless labor not secured by fruit diet 17 

Paralysis, causes of 290 

Paralysis, treatment for 290 

Parasites — see Worms 301 

Paregoric, danger from giving 156 

Partial nursing when milk is scanty 68 

Pecos Valley, N. M., as a health resort 253 

Peptonized milk 98 

Peptonized milk, method of preparing 98 

Perambulators . .148 

Perambulator, use of indoors 168 

Perfection not to be expected in a nursemaid 55 

Period of gestation 11 

Period of infancy 139 

Permanganate of potash — antiseptic 230 

Phlegm, in throat 234 

Pictures for nursery 50 

Phosphorus — hacking cough 229 

Pleurisy, dangers from 300 

Pleurisy, remedies for 300 

Pleurisy, symptoms of 299 

Pneumonia, external applications in 298 

Pneumonia, symptoms of 297 

Pneumonia, treatment of 298 

Pneumonia vs. pleurisy 300 



INDEX. 

Poisons and their antidotes 329 

Post-partum emergencies 231 

Posture, significance of in illness 207 

Potatoes and fruit 118 

Power of love 214 

Precocious children 148 

Preference for one breast 72 

Pregnancy — "A sick pregnancy a safe pregnancy" 39 

Pregnancy, bathing in 18, 19 

Pregnancy, clothing during 20 

Pregnancy, dentistry during 27 

Pregnancy, exercise during 19, 20 

Pregnancy, sleepiness during 19 

Premature babies, treatment of 231 

Prenatal influences 13 

Preparations for prospective mother 36 

Prickly heat 279 

Prolapsus ani 328 

Prospective mother, preparations for 36 

Proteids, definition of 89 

Protrusion of lower bowel 328 

Puerile breathing 134 

Pulse-beats, average per minute at different ages 135 

Pulse, normal rapidity of during infancy 154 

Pulse, where best taken 135 

"Pyramid Night Light" 51 

Quickening: what is 12 

Quickening, when first felt 12 

Quieting medicines all contain opium and are dangerous. . .155 

Raw meat juice, how prepared 122 

Rectal feeding, when useful 124 

Red gum, causes of 278 

Respirations, difference between boys and girls 134 

Respirations, normal of infants 133 

Respirations, number of per minute at different ages 134 

Retracted nipples 65 

Rheumatism, treatment of 291 

Rheumatism vs. rickets 290 

Rhus tox — rheumatism 229 

Rickets, causes of 291 

Rickets, first symptoms of 291 



INDEX. 

Rickets, symptoms of 292 

Rickets, treatment of . 293 

Robert Collyer's aphorism 174 

Rocking cradle unnecessary 162 

Rocking the baby to sleep not wholesome 156 

Roseola, symptoms of 319 

Roseola, treatment of 320 

Roseola vs. scarlet fever 320 

Rousseau, Jean Jacques 233 

Rotheln — see German Measles 318 

Rubber nipples, care of 103 

Rules for feeding 126 

Safety of homeopathic medicines 222 

Salt-baths 187 

Scald head 279 

Scalds — see Burns 306 

Scalp, care of .186 

Scarlatina — see Scarlet Fever 312 

Scarlet fever 312 

Scarlet fever, convulsions in . . 315 

Scarlet fever, danger from mild cases 313 

Scarlet fever, diet in 316 

Scarlet fever, duration of 314 

Scarlet fever, how communicated 314 

Scarlet fever, oiling the skin in 315 

Scarlet fever, prevention of 314 

Scarlet fever, special danger from kidneys 314 

Scarlet fever, symptoms of 312 

Scarlet fever, treatment of 315 

Scrofulous babies 147 

"Second Summer": why dreaded by mothers. 197 

Senses, how developed v 145 

Sewer gas, how carried in nursery 49 

Sex of child, impossibility of foretelling 12 

Shape of head after birth explained 177 

Short "outings" safer than long ones 168 

Sickness, the nursery in 307 

Significance of daily gain in infant's weight 137 

Significance of vomiting 206 

Signs of health 131 

Signs of sickness , 2Q5 



INDEX. 

Signs of illness — summary 219 

Sitting up alone, average age of 146 

Skin, the function of the 181 

Sleep conducive to health and happiness 166 

Sleep, how best secured 157 

Sleepiness during pregnancy 19 

Sleeping apartment should be dimly lighted 165 

Sleeping bag 16-3 

Sleeping in apartment where others are ill 170 

Sleeping in the open air 166 

Sleeping, no rigid rules about 170 

Sleeping, susceptibility to atmospheric changes while 167 

Sleeping on mother's breast unwise and unsafe 156 

Sleeplessness from other causes than sickness . . .171 

Sleeplessness from overfeeding 173 

Sleeplessness from thirst 171 

Sleeplessness relieved by hot foot bath 172 

Sleep, necessity of much during infancy 164 

Sleep not to be induced by walking or rocking 157 

Sleep, number of hours for newly born 154 

Sleep, regularity of a necessity 164 

Sleep should be natural; not from drugs 155 

Sleep should not be abruptly broken 154 

Snuffles (infantile catarrh) 295 

Snuffles, treatment of 296 

Soap, best kind for the baby 179 

Soap suppositories in constipation 265 

Soda, bicarbonate, how used 97 

Soda, bicarbonate, preferable to lime water 97 

Soda mint, recipe for 243 

Soft spots in the head 144 

Soothing syrups unsafe 155 

Sore eyes, infectious 237 

Sore eyes in infancy 236 

Sore eyes, symptoms of 237 

Sore mouth, dangers from 247 

Sore mouth, remedies for 247 

Sore mouth — see Stomatitis 244 

Sore throats, all more or less contagious 271 

Sore throat, first symptoms of 267 

Spasms— see Convulsions 289 



INDEX. 

Spasmodic croup, dangers from 275 

Spasm of glottis 327 

Spasms, internal — see Child Crowing 327 

Sponge-bath, best time for 186 

Spongia — spasmodic croup 229 

Starch, dextrine and maltose 112 

Stature of child, changes in 142 

Sterilized milk 92 

Sterilized milk, simple method of preparing 93 

Sterilizer, Arnold's . ."• 94, 95 

Stings of insects, applications for 286 

Stomach, acidity of a cause of decayed teeth 200 

Stomach, capacity of at birth 215 

Stomatitis (sore mouth) 244 

Stomatitis, causes of 244 

Stools, character of, in health 255 

Stools, character of, in inflammation of bowels 256 

Stools, clay colored 255 

Stools, daily number of consistent with health 255 

Stools, dark green, due to bile 256 

Stools, effect of meat juice on 255 

Stools, like chopped grass 256 

Stools, mucous, sometimes due to worms 256 

Sucking the thumb 198 

Sulphur — chronic maladies 229 

Sulphur, use of in fumigation 311 

Swallowing, coin, buttons, etc 306 

Sweating about the head, significance of 208 

Swedish movement cure 190 

Symptoms, variation in gravity of 216 

Syringe, best for nursery use 265 

Tablet triturates, how used 220 

"Tablet Triturates," what they are 220 

Talk, development of ability to 149 

"Tantrums," how cured 210 

Tartar emetic — bronchial catarrh 230 

Tears, significance of their suppression 145 

Tears, unusual before the age of three months 137 

Teething, artificial aids to 198 

Teething, beginning of 191 

Teething, change of air during 251 



INDEX. 

Teething, convulsions from 192 

Teething, disorders from 247 

Teething, disorders from, how treated 250 

Teething, dribbling during 199 

Teething, when infants suffer most from 194 

Teething, why it causes diarrhoea 249 

Teething: nurslings vs. bottle-fed babies 196 

Teething, significance of delayed 197 

Teething, variations in 191 

Teeth, order of eruption 194, 196 

Teeth, premature decay of 200 

Teeth, slow in coming .248 

Teeth, the most troublesome 194 

Temperature in health uniform and nearly invariable 136 

Temperature, normal, at birth 135 

Temperature of artificial foods 127 

Temperature of nursery 50 

Temperature of sleeping apartment 164 

Temperature, subnormal, significance of 218 

Temperature, variation in disease 217 

Temperature, where best taken .' 136 

Tender nipples 66 

Thermometer, bath 34 

"The Shut-Eye Train" 158 

Thirst a cause for sleeplessness 171 

Thought and memory 149 

Throat, appearance of in tonsilitis 268 

Throat, how examined 268 

Thrush 245 

Thumb, sucking the, as a habit 199 

Tongue-tie, diagnosis of 235 

Tonsilitis, appearance of throat in 268 

Tonsilitis, dangers from 269 

Tonsilitis vs. diphtheria 269 

Topical baths in pregnancy 19 

Top milk, definition of 89 

Top milk: how obtained and how treated 90 

Tossing the baby 188 

Toughening process a mistake 152 

Trained nurse, advisability of 37 

Treatment of sick children 219 

23 



INDEX. 

Treatment of worm symptoms 301 

Twin pregnancies 12 

Trundle bed is antiquated 162 

Twitching of muscles, significance of 208 

Types of children 14 

Underfeeding 119 

"Unguentum Graecorum" in scarlet fever 316 

Ulcers in mouth 246 

Urine, examination of during pregnancy 16 

Urine, frequency of voiding 138 

Urine, incontinence of 326 

Urine, normal quantity of young babe 138 

Urine of new born infant 138 

Urine, retention of, in new-born 234 

Urine, variation in frequency and quantity 138 

Uterus, growth of during pregnancy 22 

Vaccination, benefits of 322 

Vaccination, best place for 323 

Vaccination, course of 323 

Vaccination, duration of immunity from 324 

Vaccination, fever from 323 

Vaccination, how rendered painless 324, 325 

Vaccination, how treated 324 

Vaccination, no danger from 322 

Vaccination, performed by means of blister 325 

Vaccination, suitable age for 322 

Vaccinia — see Vaccination 322 

Varicella— see Chicken-pox 320 

Varicose veins during pregnancy 28 

Varicose veins, treatment of 28 

" Vernix Caseosa" 175 

Ventilation of nursery 48 

Veratrum alb 230 

Viability of sexes 151 

Voltaire 233 

Vomiting after nursing, significance of 71 

Vomiting, not always a sign of sickness 215 

Vomiting, remedies for 284 

Walk, ability to 146 

Walking, aids to 148 

Walking, diseases which retard 147 



INDEX. 

Walking, girls learn quicker than boys 147 

Walking with the baby to induce sleep 157 

Walter Scott, a weakling in his infancy 233 

Waist, comfortable, for pregnancy 21 

Wardrobe, infants' 30 

Wash cloths vs. sponge 185 

Washstand in nursery 49 

Water, bag of 41 

Water cooler for nursery 51 

Water, necessity of for young infants 108 

Weaklings 68 

Weaklings often grow strong 233 

Weaning, care of breasts after 78 

Weaning from bottle 120 

Weaning, gradual or abrupt? 75 

Weaning, ordinary diet after 79 

Weaning, reasons for hastening it 76 

Weaning, time for 75 

Weaning, wet nurse after : 77 

Weighing the baby, necessity of 70 

Weighing, necessity of systematic, after changing food 141 

Weight, average gain in, after birth 140 

Weight, average, of new born infant 140 

Wet nurse, danger from her getting angry 86 

Wet nurse, diet of 85 

Wet nurse, how questioned 82 

Wet nurse, selection of 81 

Wet nurse, the 80 

Wetting the bed 326 

When to call the accoucheur 15 

Whey, how prepared 120 

Whey, with cream 121 

Whisky for prematurely born 232 

Whooping cough, characteristics of 286 

Whooping cough, contagion of 288 

Whooping cough, dangers from 288 

Whooping cough, duration of 287 

Whooping cough, especially dangerous to very young in- 
fants 289 

Whooping cough, management of 287 

Whooping cough, remedies for 288 



AUG 281908 



INDEX. 

Wine and beer for nursing women 69 

Worms, affections of eyes due to 304 

Worms, due to unwholesome food 302 

Worms, illustrations of . . «. 303 

Worms, injections of cod-liver oil for 302 

Worms, liable to affect the nervous system 302 

Worm medicines, patent, dangerous 302 

Worms, symptoms of 301 



I a 




